A WAR veteran, who was told he would never walk again after being shot in Afghanistan, is championing one of Scotland’s most gruelling challenges.

After Mark Harding (47) was shot in the neck by a Taliban sniper in 2010 he was left paralysed. Through courage, discipline, and teamwork, he is now able to walk with the use of crutches. 

On Monday, November 13 Mark was unveiled as the new Ambassador for Army Benevolent Fund’s 2024 Cateran Yomp. 

Supported by headline sponsor Babcock, the 2024 event will once again challenge teams of soldiers, veterans, and civilians to walk 22, 36, or 54 miles across the Perthshire countryside within 24 hours. 

Participants will head off on the Cateran Trail in the foothills of the Cairngorm Mountains at 6am on Saturday, June 8, returning to Blairgowrie in the early hours of Sunday, June 9. 

Mr Harding said: "When I was injured and lying in hospital for seven months, paralysed from the neck down, Army Benevolent Fund stepped up and awarded a grant to convert my house, creating a downstairs bedroom, widening doors, and moving my garage which is now a gym.

"This was when my recovery, both physical and mental, really started. I could see a future again.”

Army Benevolent Fund also provided grants for training equipment to develop Mark’s love of kayaking. 

He went on to be selected for the GB Sprint Kayaking squad and has competed in countless additional fitness challenges all over the world, raising tens of thousands of pounds for the charity. 

He went on to win the ‘Inspiration’ category of the Soldiering On Awards in recognition of his fundraising and his courage in overcoming the serious injuries he sustained during service.

Major general Tim Hyams CB OBE, CEO of Army Benevolent Fund, added: “We are so grateful to all our fundraisers and supporters for their incredible generosity, which enables us to ensure that soldiers, veterans, and their immediate families have the opportunity to avoid hardship and enjoy independence and dignity.

"We are very much looking forward to seeing you all in Scotland in June, when we will be joined by this year’s Ambassador, Mark Harding, who was awarded the Inspiration Award at the 2023 Soldiering On Awards in recognition of his amazing fundraising activities and sheer courage in overcoming injuries sustained on operations in Afghanistan.”