Halifax military veteran heads to Finland on latest charity voyage

A former serviceman discharged from duty after a bomb left him with brain injuries says spending time helping others has put his life back on track.
Troy Conner will tackle a ski marathon in Finland this weekend.Troy Conner will tackle a ski marathon in Finland this weekend.
Troy Conner will tackle a ski marathon in Finland this weekend.

Troy Conner, 41, will travel to Finland this weekend to take part in a snow marathon with other former soldiers, using his experience from the same event last year to guide first-timers through the course.

It marks a year of discovery for Troy, who has visited a number of schools to tell the story of his time in the military, which effectively ended in August 2009 when the tank he was travelling in was hit by an improvised explosive device. It killed three of his colleagues.

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“I feel as though I’ve got a purpose now, and that was missing when I left the forces,” he said, “it left such a void in my life, it meant everything to me.

“Being able to help and inspire people in any way I can is what I love to do,” he added.

“I’m a very goal-orientated person and this allows me to set myself goals and achieve things,” said Troy.

“I’d love to deliver talks at businesses and go into prisons to speak to people. I want to help anyone that needs it.”

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Troy has run a number of marathons to raise cash for charities that support former servicemen. He aims to raise £2,000 from his exploits in Finland for Blesma, a charity that supports limbless veterans.In May he will run the Windemere marathon to raise cash for the Armed Forces Para Snow Sports Team, a group run by ex-servicemen that uses adaptive skiing to enhance the recovery of injured soldiers - both serving and veteran.

Anyone wishing to donate to Troy’s cause can do so via www.justgiving.com/fundraising/troy-conner1

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