'Bring Luke Home' gym challenge remembers RAF Regiment soldier killed in Afghanistan
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On Friday 25 February, around 70 people will begin a 24-hour fitness challenge in memory of Senior Aircraftman Luke Southgate, an RAF Regiment solider killed in Afghanistan 12 years ago. The challenge, taking place at Origin Gym in Liverpool, is raising money for three Armed Forces charities – the RAF Benevolent Fund, Help for Heroes, and the Centurion Fund.
The 'Bring Luke Home' challenge is being led by 39-year-old Stephen Ashcroft, who joined the RAF Regiment in 2005. Stephen was on his third tour in February 2010 when a vehicle he was travelling in hit an improvised explosive device (IED). While Stephen survived, suffering complex injuries to his back, leg and face, 20-year-old Luke lost his life in the explosion.
Through the challenge, Stephen and his teammates will aim to cover the distance travelled from Kandahar Airfield to RAF Honington where he and Luke were based. The 7 million metre distance will be achieved using ski, bike and rowing machines.
Stephen said: "I was informed of Luke's death when I was still in critical care, recovering from my own injuries. It's difficult to process such a loss when you’re in that position so for me, my memory of Luke remains in Kandahar. I came up with the idea to 'bring Luke home' as a means of keeping his memory alive, telling his story, and hopefully gaining closure for myself as I will finally get to put Luke to rest in my own mind.
"I wanted to support the RAF Benevolent Fund because it supports personnel and veterans – myself included. When I was medically discharged from the RAF I wanted to return to university, and the Fund helped pay my tuition fees, which would have been a significant financial burden otherwise. Since then, I’ve remained in academia and am due to complete a doctorate in plant genetics this year."
Stephen will be joined in the challenge by current and former servicemen and women, his friends and family, and members of Origin Gym. So far, they have raised nearly £8,000 of the £10,000 target. You can support the team by donating to their fundraising page: gofund.me/51657670.
The RAF Benevolent Fund supports serving RAF personnel, veterans, and their families, when they need it most. The Fund provides financial, emotional and practical assistance to help people live with the dignity and independence they deserve.
The RAF Regiment is the ground fighting force of the RAF, and since its formation in 1942, the RAF Benevolent Fund has supported countless of its members, like Stephen. Throughout 2022, the Fund is working with the RAF Regiment to commemorate the organisation's 80th anniversary, with RAF Regiment personnel undertaking an array of fundraising challenges to raise money for both the RAF Benevolent Fund and the Centurion Fund. For more information, please visit rafbf.org/regiment80.