Soldier to honour fellow war heroes

Jan 31 2013 by Caitlin Black, Harrow Observer

rifles team

A SOLDIER will be tackling a 109km cycle in South Africa to remember his friends and fellow war heroes.

Jamie Pulley, 43, from Pinner, will be taking on the exhausting challenge to help raise money for wounded soldiers and the families of those killed in action, along with five soldiers from his regiment.

The Lance Corporal, who is in the Seven Rifles Battalion, part of the Army Rifles Regiment, has been in the Armed Forces for more than 10 years and has completed two tours in Afghanistan.

Having lost fellow soldiers and witnessed friends being wounded, Lance Corporal Pulley and some of his Rifles Cycle Team decided to tackle a high profile race in South Africa to raise money for Just Rifles, a charity which helps the wounded and the families of those killed in action from the Rifles Regiment.

The married father-of-four, a former pupil at West Lodge School, West End Lane, Pinner, said: “Myself and all of the team have front-line operational experience in Afghanistan, Iraq and the Balkans – we have all lost fellow friends and soldiers.

“We would like to help and have done things for the Help for Heroes charity, but Just Rifles is a bit closer to our hearts as it is for those on our regiment.

“So far I have raised roughly £600 on my own, while me and the others are aiming to raise £15,000 altogether.

“Recently I lost a friend, Tom Keogh, who was killed in action in 2010.”

Lance Corporal Thomas Keogh was killed in Sangin, Afghanistan, on March 7, 2010, aged just 25.

Just Rifles founder Bryan Fugler had known the Keogh family for more than 30 years and after hearing of his death, Mr Fugler wanted to do something to help and set up Just Rifles in 2011.

The Cape Argus Cycle Race, on March 10, usually has more than 35,000 cyclists taking part in the 109km cycle up and around Table Mountain in Cape Town, South Africa.

Lance Corporal Pulley, who has been on the Rifles Cycle Team for nearly three years, said: “This challenge is going to be tough, but we have been training for more than three months specifically for this task.

“I am really excited about the event – it will be a chance to fly the flag for the Rifles.”

■ To sponsor Lance Corporal Pulley www.justgiving.com/Jamie-Pulley