News
August 7th 2018
Reservist raises more than £2,000 for charity
Lee during the London Marathon earlier this year
An Army reservist from Loughborough raised more than £2,000 by competing in the London Marathon earlier this year.
Private Lee Merrill who trains with the Army Reserve’s 203 Squadron, 158 Regiment the Royal Logistic Corps ran the marathon in April and raised the money for The Children’s Society.
Running the marathon had been one of Lee’s greatest ambitions. He explained: “Taking on the London Marathon was always a challenge I have wanted to do. Last year I told myself, if you don’t apply you will never do it, so I sent of my application for the ballot entry but I also went through the charity application, which was successful in the end.”
Lee is a former regular soldier who now balances his Army Reserve training with working as a Health and Safety Manager for SDI Displays in Loughborough.
He added: “Being an ex-regular soldier, I have always had a good level of fitness but joining the reserves has given me the motivation to re-join my local gym.
Lee after the race with his medal.
“The Army Reserve has the facilities for you to use to keep your fitness up. You know what is expected for your fitness tests and it is down to yourself to hit those targets.”
In the Army Reserve Lee serves as a chef but has found that the training he has completed has helped him to develop a career outside the military.
He concluded: “The reserves has all the job opportunities that the regulars has but the flexibility to train when it suits, so you can fit it around your work and home life.
“You will never meet people like you do in the forces and you get paid to gain extra qualifications that you can use outside of Army life.”
“Taking on the London Marathon was always a challenge I have wanted to do. Last year I told myself, if you don’t apply you will never do it."
