SSAFA Warrior Challenge participants treated to tour of iconic home of the Chelsea Pensioners

23 September 2024

The challenge will take place on 14-18 November in Morocco, raising funds for SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity. On Friday, the participants spent the day at Royal Hospital Chelsea (RHC) in London.

Founded back in 1682 by King Charles II as a retreat for veterans, the RHC is now home to more than 300 Chelsea Pensioners, retired British Army soldiers who can be spotted around the grounds, donning their bright scarlet coats and tricorne hats.

Following the tour the runners were invited inside for teas and coffees, where they were greeted by SSAFA Controller Sir Andrew Gregory. He spoke to the room for around fifteen minutes, thanking them for their participation and fundraising efforts, and spoke to the challenges facing veterans and the evolving ways they need support.

The challenge itself will be intense: each participant will be covering 110 kilometres over two days of running in the heat of the Moroccan desert. In fact, the location of the challenge is around the city of Ouarzazate, also the main location for the filming of the upcoming film Gladiator 2 starring Paul Mescal, Denzel Washington, and Pedro Pascal.

Richard French, Senior Ultra Events Officer at SSAFA, said this about the challenge: “The Warrior Challenge is unique; we bring together serving personnel and veterans to challenge them physically and mentally. The Ultra is hard work, but we approach it as a team and help each other along. Nothing compares to that feeling of camaraderie that you get from grizzing it out with your friends and having a common purpose.”