Live ChatIn 2020, Gina, an Army veteran with 11 years of service, was knocked off her bicycle in a hit and run. She had been using the bike to support her mental health as she cared for her brother Spencer through his terminal cancer. Suddenly, she found herself in A&E injured, her bike destroyed. The day after the crash, Spencer sadly died.
Gina was encouraged to ask SSAFA for help. Not expecting anything to happen, she was shocked when SSAFA raised funds for a new bicycle. Gina has gone on to use cycling to strengthen her mental health, cope with her grief, and raise money in memory of her brother. She has become a dedicated and active fundraiser for SSAFA, wishing to give back to the charity that helped her during such a difficult time.
“I've been in uniform since I was 13,” Gina recalls. “I joined the Army Cadets which was the root of it all. From there I became an adult instructor, and then joined up officially aged 19 after my A-levels. I did 11 years, mainly in the Royal Signals. I left in 2006.
“My first few years I was in the 30 Signal Regiment, the ‘globetrotters’. It was a dream job. Wherever there was a conflict or a crisis, we would be one of the first out there because we were state-of-the-art communications at the time, doing satellite communications as early as the mid-‘90s.
“We were in places like Bosnia and Kosovo when the conflicts began. We were the first in, setting up comms so HQ could talk to commanders in the UK, including via television conferencing. It was unheard of elsewhere at the time. Now everyone does it!
Her military service also put Gina in challenging and dangerous situations, including her time in East Timor, which she remembers:
“It was my 25th birthday when we went into East Timor. That day, when we landed, it was like a scene from a war film. We got into a Land Rover and drove through empty streets with bombed-out and burnt buildings. It was pretty dramatic. As we pulled into where we were going to make our base, we got shot at, but our training just kicked in. We jumped out and returned fire. It was instinct.
“At the time, the equipment was terrible. We didn't have any armoured jackets or anything like that. I remember being behind a wall, which probably wouldn't have stopped much, putting my helmet on, and then taking it off, thinking, 'There's no point because I haven't got a flak jacket on.'
“Later on that day, the building opposite us was blown up 15m away from where I was standing on-guard. The few civilians that were there were all running towards me and I had to get them safe behind a wall. Minutes later, back up arrived, an officer asking me for a sitrep [report on the situation]. I found it amusing how quickly the BBC turned up. They were there before one of my commanding officers. Anything for a news scoop! When things settled down and it looked safe, I let the civilians go. They were thankful of my help and actions, I think!”
I walked out the gates and that was it.
After 11 years of service and wear on her body, Gina decided to leave the military.
“I knew that if I continued, I was going to end up totally broken, and not be able to have another life or career,” she says. “They did ask me to stay. But I was quite determined to go. I walked out the gates and that was it.”
After leaving the military, Gina forged a career in close protection and surveillance.
“At the height of my new career, I was working in America with a really high-profile person, doing close protection in Chicago and LA. I struck it lucky with that side of things. Then I ended up coming back to the UK to get married and started doing different bits of security here.
“I was once asked to work as Britney Spears’ bodyguard, but I decided that if I did then my face would be too recognizable, and I wouldn’t be able to do undercover work again, so I had to turn it down.”
That’s when I started cycling. I needed something to help me and take my mind off things.
However, at the same time, Gina found herself connecting with other veterans and the ex-service community, particularly around sport. She turned to cycling to help cope after her brother received a devastating diagnosis.
“Despite my spine, knee and ankle injuries, difficulty hearing and asthma linked to my time in the Forces, I still had my arms and legs intact, so I didn’t think I was eligible for help. A friend of mine got involved with the Invictus Games and told me about a Help for Heroes sports recovery programme, so I started to get involved with that.
“In the meantime, I was diagnosed with PTSD and I was due to get some support, but my brother got diagnosed with cancer. I lived in Sussex, but he was in the Wirral, so I went up to be there for him and to help with his care. That’s when I started cycling. I needed something to help me and take my mind off things.
“We were told he had weeks to live, just as COVID hit. All his treatment stopped.
“I'd go and see him for an hour and then I'd go for a cycle. I needed to.
“The day before he died, I was knocked off my bike in a hit and run with another cyclist. I was on a cycle path and two guys on bikes came towards me fast, travelling on the wrong side. They smashed into me at about a 30 mile-per-hour impact. The handlebars hit my arm and catapulted me off the bike. I was lucky I wasn’t thrown into the road.
“I was bleeding and in a lot of pain. My mum came and got me and took me to A&E, but thankfully I was only badly bruised and cut, narrowly avoiding some dislocated and broken bones. I was alright, but the bike wasn't. It was completely trashed.
“Then the next day my amazing brother died. I was completely consumed with that, nothing else mattered.
I've never had anything from a charity. I normally raise money for charity. It's different, to be on the other side.
Recognising the importance of cycling to Gina’s wellbeing and mental health, her network helped connect her with SSAFA. As someone who had raised money for charities, Gina found herself, suddenly, on the other side.
“My contacts at Help for Heroes got in touch to ask how I was doing, and I mentioned the bike in passing and they told me to get in touch with SSAFA.
“A guy called Graham called me, he was a caseworker for SSAFA where I live in Brighton. I didn't meet him because of the Covid restrictions, but he was brilliant and so helpful. He went through some forms with me and then wrote to my different regiments asking if they would fund a new bike, and kept pushing. I just didn't expect much, but together the regiments donated the full amount to buy me a fabulous new bike! And they gave it so quickly.
“I've never had anything from a charity. I normally raise money for charity. It's different, to be on the other side. Graham didn't make me feel like I was begging for it. It was like I deserved it which was touching. He was very personable and put me at ease.
Getting in touch with SSAFA is the best thing that's happened to me this year.
“That was my first involvement with SSAFA as a client, which was amazing. It's probably the best thing that's happened to me this year, in fact in a long time. It's good for my mental health and getting out there. It's the only thing that takes my mind off the grief. Exercise is my coping method. If you're not concentrating when you're cycling, you're going to get knocked off.
“My family are military, so I had heard of SSAFA through my childhood and when I was a cadet. A few years ago, my partner and I ran a team-building day in Brighton for teenagers that had lost their brothers and sisters in the Army, sponsored by the charity. But I didn’t realise the extent of what they did. I thought it was more for families than service personnel.
“Now I would say getting in touch with SSAFA is the best thing that's happened to me this year. I've never been given anything like that, ever, if I'm honest. It's something that happens to other people really."
Gina’s caseworker, Graham, added, “I was delighted to be able to help Gina. Because of Covid of course, our only contact was by telephone, but I think we still built up quite a rapport. Gina is a Scouser and my family come from Liverpool, so I loved her sense of humour. And knowing the job she did in the Army, I knew a bit about what she went through in service.
“Gina had been in a dreadful situation with the hit and run and then the death of her brother, and it was my pleasure to be able to help her in some way. I’m so glad to hear it’s made such an impact and I hope to continue to help other people like her in the future too.
“Gina, and veterans like her, have done a lot for our country. It’s great that generous people donate and volunteer, so that they may receive help in return when they need it.”
The more I am involved with SSAFA, the more I see the difference it makes to the military communities it serves.
After receiving the bicycle through SSAFA, Gina was determined to ‘pay it forward’. She went on to complete a year-long, 100 mile per week challenge, ultimately raising over £10,000 for a local cancer unit that had treated her brother. More used to raising money for charity than being supported by one, Gina also decided to give back to SSAFA in recognition of the support they had given her. Her commitment to SSAFA has been steadfast across an impressive variety of activities and challenges.
Inspired by a poem she wrote for her brother’s funeral, Gina produced a book of poetry, Military Memories, in 2021. The book included her own poems alongside ones from the wider Armed Forces community, including cadets, serving personnel, veterans, and family members.
“The poems illustrate the journey taken by those who join the Armed Forces, showing a lighter side to our families’ lives and the trauma we sometimes face. A path taken by many, told by so few,” Gina shares. “It’s a lifetime of memories shared in one little book.” Profits from the book were generously shared between SSAFA and the military charity Sporting Force.
In 2022, Gina undertook an ambitious 50k for 30 days challenge that saw her run, cycle, canoe, and trek 50 kilometres every day for 30 consecutive days. She completed a total of 1,500 km amidst record high temperatures to benefit SSAFA and Sporting Force. “What makes me get on the bike every day is knowing the good that these two amazing charities do,” she says.
In addition to her self-organised challenges, Gina has participated in a variety of events to raise funds for SSAFA, including the SSAFA’s own 13 Bridges Challenge and the 2023 Kilt Walk in Glasgow.
She is also a keen speaker and has supported SSAFA at several events at the regional and national level, from SSAFA meetings to the Remembrance Day Parade in London.
In the past two years, Gina has raised over £250,000 for veterans’ charities, including SSAFA. Her work has been recognised across the sector, strengthening her platform for raising awareness and helping veterans. In 2022, she was honoured with the Inspiration Award at the Soldiering On Awards. She has been a nominee at the English Veterans Awards multiple times, including as Inspiration and Volunteer of the Year (2023).
All this isn’t without danger though. In April 2023, Gina embarked on a Scotland 300 multi-sport solo challenge. However, she was forced to complete the challenge at home in a sling after suffering a broken collar bone, fractured skull, and badly sprained ankle on the West Highland Way. She also broke her arm in two places and dislocated her elbow.
So, what’s next?
Gina remains undaunted and as committed as ever. “My plan is to get fixed for next year so I can tackle Scotland 300,” she shares. She will be participating in several smaller SSAFA events to prepare for the challenge.
Recognising the importance of physical activity for veterans’ wellbeing, Gina is also working on a project to advocate for free or reduced gym memberships for ex-servicepersons throughout the UK.
Gina reflects on her journey with SSAFA:
“I started fundraising for SSAFA as I wanted to repay them for helping me during some of the most difficult times of my life. Obviously, I didn’t have to do this – I wanted to. I have raised hundreds of thousands of pounds now for military charities, but I will not stop being an advocate and raising money for SSAFA.
“The more I am involved with SSAFA, the more I see the difference it makes to the military communities it serves.”