Team Forces Trailblazers!

Team Forces trailblazers … turning bold ideas into action!

In the room today, you’ll find several of our incredible grant recipients, along with others who are seeking support for future challenges. We encourage you to take a moment to connect with these extraordinary individuals and hear first-hand how your funding is truly transforming lives.

Al Carns - Mission : Everest

In May 2025 a team of four Special Forces veterans will attempt the fastest-ever ascent of Mount Everest — from London to the summit of Everest and back in 7 days. The team are setting out to redefine what is possible in high-altitude mountaineering, using speed, innovation and treading lightly to minimise impact on the fragile Himalayan landscape ecosystem. Mission: Everest will be a climate neutral expedition – leaving no trace and no waste.

COLONEL ALISTAIR CARNS DSO OBE MC MP

Al led five tours in Afghanistan and led at every rank in almost every major conflict of the last two decades. He’s been highly recognised for his exceptional operational service receiving a Mention in Dispatches, the Military Cross, the Order of the British Empire (OBE) and most recently, a Distinguished Service Order (DSO) making him the most highly decorated MP since World War II. He is currently the Minister for Veterans and People in the Ministry of Defence and hopes this expedition will raise increasing awareness for all those that are serving, have served, and their families.

Funds raised from Mission : Everest will go towards Armed Forces and Veterans charities, with a particular focus on organisations which support the bereaved children of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice to defend our freedom. https://givewheel.com/fundraising/6962/mission-everest/

Anthony Stazicker - Mission : Everest

ANTHONY “STAZ” STAZICKER CGC

With an impressive 13 years of decorated military service, 10 within the UK Special Forces he has since run his own business and is also on the Directing Staff for Channel 4 programme, SAS: Who Dares Wins. Staz is a distinguished Special Forces Operator who was awarded the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross for Combat Actions conducted in Afghanistan in 2013.

Garth Miller - Mission : Everest

MAJOR GARTH MILLER – EXPEDITION LEADER

Garth is a seasoned high-altitude mountaineer with extensive experience on Everest, K2 and other 8000m peaks. Garth previously set the record for the fastest London-London ascent of Everest, completing the remarkable adventure in just 21 days. A veteran of three tours in Afghanistan, he now combines service as an army reservist with his career as a Captain with British Airways flying to long-haul destinations all over the world. Major Garth Miller said: “It’s speed that unlocks this dream for us.”

Jonny Huntingdon - South Pole

Jonny Huntington made history by becoming the first ever person with a disability to ski solo and unsupported to the South Pole!

Jonny Huntington’s journey to the South Pole is not only a testament to human endurance and resilience but also a groundbreaking moment for adaptive exploration. To ski solo and unsupported across 911 km of Antarctic wilderness is already a monumental task—but to do so with limited mobility on one side of his body elevates this to a whole new level of inspiration.

With only 52 people ever having completed a solo, unsupported trek to the South Pole, Jonny’s accomplishment places him in an elite group of explorers, while simultaneously expanding the boundaries of what is possible for people with disabilities. Taking 45 days, 14 hours, and 15 minutes in one of the harshest environments on Earth is a physical and mental triumph.

Katie Devine - Force Atlantic

Lance Bombardier Katie Devine will skipper the Force Atlantic 2025 quad crew taking on the World’s Toughest Row in December 2025. This race covers 3,000 miles of hot, fierce & diverse Atlantic ocean, racing from San Sebastian de La Gomera, Spain to Nelson’s Dockyard, Antigua. The other members of Force Atlantic 2025 are also serving soldiers – Bombardier Oliver Cutting, Lance Bombardier Victoria Wratten-wood, and Lance Bombardier Travis Sawyer.

Kevin Godlington - Mission : Everest

KEVIN GODLINGTON

Kevin is a former Boy Soldier, joining the Royal Engineers at 16 and later UK Special Forces. His extensive mountaineering experience includes climbing over 20 of the world’s 6,000 and 7,000-meter peaks, spanning 12 expeditions. He was a special adviser to the Government and No.10 on youth crime, drawing from his own experience of spending time in state care as a child.

Oliver Cutting - Force Atlantic

Bombardier Oliver Cutting is part of the Force Atlantic 2025 quad crew taking on the World’s Toughest Row in December 2025. This race covers 3,000 miles of hot, fierce & diverse Atlantic ocean, racing from San Sebastian de La Gomera, Spain to Nelson’s Dockyard, Antigua. The other members of Force Atlantic 2025 are also serving soldiers – Lance Bombardier Katie Devine (Skipper), Lance Bombardier Victoria Wratten-wood, and Lance Bombardier Travis Sawyer.

Zara Lachlan - Solo Atlantic Row

Zara Lachlan’s journey is nothing short of incredible! Her feat of becoming the first female and youngest person to row solo, unsupported, and nonstop from Portugal to South America is a testament to her strength, determination, and resilience. The challenges she faced—injuries, a broken oar, dangerous wildlife, and extreme weather—would have tested anyone’s limits, but she pushed through and made history.

Arriving in French Guiana after 97 days, 9 hours, and 20 minutes, she must have felt an overwhelming sense of accomplishment and relief. Being greeted with a hero’s welcome must have been such a powerful moment after such an extraordinary adventure. Her story is truly inspiring!