Paralysed Army veteran walking more than 650 miles from Cumbria to Arnhem
ITV Border's Natasha Potts caught up with Mark on his challenge
A paralysed war veteran from Cumbria is walking 656 miles from his hometown of Carlisle to Arnhem to honour WW2 veterans and raise money for an Armed Forces charity.
The challenge is to honour his great-grandfather and others who fought during Operation Market Garden in September 1944.
Mark Harding will finish the challenge at Arnhem where he will carry the Border Regiment Standard at a commemoration event at Oosterbeek cemetery.
Mark said: "What drives me is the deep respect I have for my great grandfather, grandad and all the courageous veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice during Operation Market Garden.
"My great grandfather tragically lost his life at the young age of 33 when his ship was sunk by a U-boat."
"In tackling this mission, I will embrace the same unwavering determination and spirit that defined the soldiers of Operation Market Garden."
Mark will be raising money for Scotty’s Little Soldiers, a charity which supports young people and children who have lost a parent who served in the British Armed Forces.
He said: "Reflecting on the soldiers’ sacrifices, I cannot help but feel a sense of sadness when I think about the children who were left orphaned during that time 80 years ago.
"It therefore feels fitting that I do this challenge to raise awareness and funds for Scotty’s Little Soldiers, a charity close to my heart that supports children and young people who have experienced the death of a parent who served in the British Armed Forces.
"Whilst I’m walking, I’ll be thinking of the children and the sacrifices their parents made.”
In 2010, while serving in Afghanistan, Mark Harding was shot through the neck, shattering part of his spine, he was paralysed from the neck down.
Despite being told that he would never walk again, after intense rehabilitation, Mark started to regain some movement.
Last year, Mark completed the John O’Groats to Land’s End challenge, using crutches and walking for 85 days, he raised over £36,000 for Scotty's Little Soldiers.
Nikki Scott, founder of Scotty's Little Soldiers, said: "Mark's commitment to Scotty’s is incredible.
"He took on an inspiring challenge for Scotty’s last year when he walked from John O’Groats to Lands’ End, and it’s amazing that he’s supporting Scotty’s again with another mammoth challenge.
"His incredible fundraising efforts help ensure that we can continue providing essential support to bereaved military children and young people. We are so grateful to Mark for his continued support and we wish him well as he makes his way to the Netherlands.”
What was Operation Market Garden?
Operation Market Garden was an Allied military operation during the Second World War fought in the German-occupied Netherlands.
The Allies launched a daring airborne operation to secure the River Rhine crossings and advance into northern Germany.
Although it ultimately failed, it went down in history as one of the Second World War’s most famous battles.
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