Fallen soldiers remembered with 457 challenge

An army veteran who suffered life-changing injuries on duty said he will spend Remembrance Sunday raising money for a charity that was "crucial" in his recovery.

Rick Webb, 39, who required an above-knee amputation after serving in Afghanistan, said adjusting to civilian life had been difficult but the community of military families and the Army Benevolent Fund (ABF) had helped.

In a bid to give back, Webb will be one of many veterans taking part in the 457 Challenge, which includes a range of physical activities at CrossFit in Warminster on Sunday.

"Something like this brings people together that are struggling mentally with not feeling like they belong," said Webb.

The Army's national charity, the ABF launched the 457 Challenge to commemorate the 457 British service personnel who lost their lives during the 2001–2021 Afghanistan conflict and to raise funds to support military families.

Each of the challenge's activities can be adapted to suit ability.

Webb, who lives in Andover, Hampshire, required the amputation after stepping on an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) while deployed to Afghanistan with the The King's Royal Hussars in 2021.

"It's still a struggle for me now and if it wasn't for my wife and family, it would be extremely difficult to move forward in life properly, " said Webb.

Tilly Lambert-Lee, regional director for the ABF, said the charity had received a "fantastic" response from veterans wanting to come together and support each other.

"Remembrance Day can be a really hard day for veterans and having to sit quietly in church can be quite intense and a real barrier for them," she said.

"With the challenge, they can have their moment to remember and think about the friends they've lost, but doing it in a more positive, physical way to give them a bit more of a release," she added.

Former soldier and now owner and head coach of CrossFit in Warminster, Henri Vincent, said each of the 457 British lives lost during the Afghan war deserved to be remembered.

"My hope is that the 457 Challenge becomes an annual event, not just within CrossFit but across the wider fitness community.

"Something that brings together regiments, veterans, serving personnel and civilians through fitness, remembrance and a shared purpose.

"But it's also about recognising those who returned home carrying the physical and invisible wounds of conflict, those we've tragically lost since returning, and the families who continue to live with the consequences of war," he added.

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