Veteran Cosham soldier to row 24 hours non-stop to help mental health charity Mind

Determined Daryl Green will complete an entire day on a rowing machine outside his grandparent’s house in Waterlooville in a bid to raise £1,500 for Mind.

The 27-year-old, of Cosham, is tackling the epic feat of endurance as a way of raising awareness about the psychological toll isolation and lockdown can have on people.

The retired Corporal, who served eight years in the 2nd Battalion, the Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment, said the stay-at-home measures were already causing his mental health problems to flare back up.

‘This whole situation has amplified everything,’ said the fitness coach, whose workplace has closed due to the lockdown.

‘Jobs are up in the air, people can’t really socialise anymore and there are now huge financial pressures on families.

‘There’s also uncertainty about the future – all these things are affecting people’s mental health, including my own, so it’s important organisations like Mind that help people, are supported, because they will be needed after this.’

Daryl came up with the idea on Wednesday and in less than a week has managed to drum up almost £1,100 for charity.

He will kick-off his rowing session at 8pm on Wednesday, finishing in time for the national clap for carers event on Thursday evening.

The former soldier added he had been left stunned by the huge swell of support.

‘It’s been overwhelming,’ he told The News. ‘I’m really happy with that support so far. It’s been really motivating. That’s all I’m going to be thinking about when I’m rowing.’

Super-fit Darly, who competes at CrossFit fitness competitions across Europe, said the physical toll of the event would be punishing.

‘The longest I have spent on a rower is an hour,’ he added. ‘But I’m not worried. I find physically I can suffer a lot more than I can mentally.

‘I’m pretty robust when it comes to physical pain; I compete in CrossFit competitions across Europe, so I’m used to suffering physically.

‘The real challenge will be mentally. This will be me on my own. As soon as my brain starts ticking, that’s when I struggle.’

Daryl will be live-streaming his rowing attempt, in Matthews Place, Stakes near Waterlooville, and hopes friends will join him virtually.

To donate to his fundraiser, see: justgiving.com/fundraising/daryl-24hr

A message from the Editor

Thank you for reading this story on portsmouth.co.uk. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our advertisers - and consequently the revenue we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription.

Subscribe to portsmouth.co.uk and enjoy unlimited access to local news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than 5 articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Visit our Subscription page now to sign up.

Our journalism costs money and we rely on advertising, print and digital revenues to help to support them. By supporting us, we are able to support you in providing trusted, fact-checked content for this website.