Royal Navy veteran to pedal 126 miles down the Thames in giant swan pedalo for Combat Stress and the RNLI
A Royal Navy veteran whose 22 year career spanned Antarctica, Northern Ireland, anti piracy missions and global deployments is preparing for his most unique challenge yet, pedalling 126 miles down the River Thames in a giant swan pedalo for charity.
Alan Thornewill, 60, who now resides in West Sussex, and his team will be raising funds for Combat Stress, the UK’s leading charity for veterans’ mental health, and the RNLI. Their mission, named Op Ruby Jack, is attempting to raise £5,000 and is already halfway to its target.
Alan will be supported by his wife Victoria, fellow veteran Don Willans, who served nearly 22 years in the Royal Navy before medical discharge, and Don’s wife Zoë, a long‑time forces partner and keen fundraiser
Starting on Friday 24 April, the team will joined each day by a different group of veterans, friends and family as they navigate locks, currents, weather and the sheer physical strain of pedalling for 8 hours each day as they attempt the 126-mile journey from the upper reaches of the river through to London, aiming to reach their destination, in 6 and a half days.
Alan joined the Royal Navy in the mid-1980s, and despite undiagnosed ADHD and dyslexia, he qualified as an Artificer and later promoted to Chief Petty Officer. Serving on Leander‑class frigates, Type 23s and in the Northern Ireland Squadron. His career took him around the world; from the Falklands to Sierra Leone, from the Baltic to Antarctica, and later into maritime security and anti‑piracy operations.
Eventually, years of high‑pressure deployments, and the transition to civilian life took its toll, leading him to seek mental health support and leaving him with a newfound recognition of the importance of specialist mental health services for veterans.
He was therefore inspired to raise money for Combat Stress, as well as the RNLI, whose lifesaving work represents the other constant in Alan’s life; decades spent on the water.
On the challenge, Alan said: “I would sum this up as a test of stubbornness, stamina, knees and questionable decision‑making…
“Invisible injuries can be just as hard to cope with as physical ones. Knowing there’s a helping hand in the darkness – whether during mental health struggles or when struggling at sea – can be the difference between sinking and surviving.
“If pedalling a swan down the Thames gets people talking, and supporting these organisations’ vital work, then it’s worth every mile.”
Don Willans, said: “Alan has dragged me into several of his fundraising adventures, this one might be the daftest – but also the most meaningful.”
Zoë Willans, said: “If I can survive an untrained row around Hayling Island, I can survive this. And raising money for the RNLI and Combat Stress makes every mile worth it.”
You can support Alan and the team’s challenge here: https://givewheel.com/fundraising/10841/op-ruby-jack/