Duke of Sussex launches The Walk of Oman
Military Charity Walking With The Wounded has launched their latest expedition, The Walk of Oman, with Expedition Patron, The Duke of Sussex.
“At the end of this year, a year that has seen unprecedented global challenges, a group of veterans will be tackling a challenge unlike anything they’ve faced before. Facing searing temperatures and pulling a cart that weighs more than 3 times their own bodyweight, these veterans will need to summon incredible physical & mental strength.” – The Duke of Sussex
In partnership with the Omani Armed Forces and with generous support from the Royal Office of HM Sultan Haitham bin Tariq’, the ambitious trek pays homage to the legendary travels Wilfred Thesiger took across the Arabian Peninsula in the 1940s.
Starting on November 20th 2020 and ending December 11th 2020, the walk will also take the team across part of the Empty Quarter— the world’s largest sand desert, before bringing the arduous trek to a close on Oman’s Armed Forces Day.
“I am proud once again to support them and support the veterans whose courage, determination and resilience is a credit to all of us who have served. To the men and women selected for this team, good luck! I know people all over the world will be cheering you on.” – The Duke of Sussex
The team of ex-service personnel, all of whom have physical or cognitive injuries, will endure hunger, thirst and extreme temperatures to highlight the extraordinary courage and determination of the men and women who have been wounded while serving their countries and to draw attention to the support needed in their transition to civilian life.
Due to the hostile conditions and the nature of the injuries involved, the expedition teams will be followed by a support team, who will be on hand in case of emergencies.
Trekking around 20km to 22km per day, the team will endure temperatures as high as 95°F as they pull their custom-built cart, weighing in excess of 300kg, across the unforgiving Omani desert.
Before the final team is revealed, they will undergo a rigorous selection process in July to test both their physical and mental strength before preparing for this extraordinary challenge in the Middle East. Details of the selection process and expedition team will be revealed in the next couple of months.
‘‘The Invictus Games Foundation is proud to lend its support to Walking with the Wounded and the ‘Walk of Oman’. This Walk not only shares a Patron with the Foundation, it shares its goals in supporting those injured in service. We look forward to helping establish further international endeavours in the future.” – Dominic Reid OBE, CEO of The Invictus Games Foundation
