After helping the Ospreys to victory over Zebre on Friday night Ryan Jones then lent his support to a team of Welsh Guards Wags on Sunday.
The Wives and Girlfriends, whose husbands and boyfriends are all currently serving a second operational tour in Afghanistan, spent the weekend cycling the distance from Camp Bastion to Great Britain (4517 miles) on static bikes within a 48 hour period with all money raised will be in aid of the Welsh Guards Afghanistan Appeal.
In addition to peddling the last of the 4,517 miles, Ryan also experienced a series of Afghanistan themed stands at Wellington Barracks, getting to grips with weapons and equipment and talking to a few recently returned Guardsmen on their experiences of Afghanistan.
Ryan had pledged his support after hearing stories about the Welsh Guards’ service in Afghanistan and the Welsh Guards Afghanistan Appeal, set up to provide help for those Welsh Guardsmen and their families affected by casualties sustained in Afghanistan.
He commented:
“I’m honoured to be able to offer support to the Welsh Guards Afghanistan Appeal. The work that our forces are doing in difficult circumstances is inspirational to everyone, particularly to guys like myself, who in many ways lead quite pampered lifestyles.
“Every day they put their lives on the line, and the Welsh Guards Afghanistan Appeal will make a real difference to the lives of those affected by the conflict, so whatever sacrifice I can make pales into insignificance when you consider the sacrifice that our troops and their families make.”
Sam Bossi, wife of Welsh Guards Commanding Officer Lt Col Dino Bossi, said:
“The question was, what were we going to do with ourselves for the six months that our husbands and boyfriends were deployed to Afghanistan to serve our country? Very few of us can hold a note, so forming a choir was not an option! So in the spirit of Olympic fever we decided to get on our (static) bikes and cycle for our boys to raise money for the Welsh Guards Afghanistan Appeal.”
She added: “It’s been good to take on a physical challenge like this while our husbands and partners face theirs and we WaGs have built some real team spirit training for this.”
Information on the Welsh Guards Afghanistan Appeal.
The years ahead will place great demands on the Welsh Guards as the Regiment supports those affected by casualties sustained in Afghanistan. The Appeal helps enable the Regiment to support:
• The families and dependants of those killed in action, by responding promptly to problems of bereavement and hardship.
• Those wounded on operations, especially those who have had to leave the army, by helping them find new employment and be active family and community members.
• The families and dependants of those seriously wounded or injured in prolonged recovery situations.
To find out more please visit www.welshguardsappeal.com