Rugby hero Lewsey reveals admiration for soldiers

Josh Lewsey, who was part of England’s triumphant 2003 Rugby World Cup winning side, has revealed he is to climb Mount Everest to raise money for military charities.

Speaking to the Daily Telegraph, the former international said that had he not had the chance to be a sportsman, he would have been stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the brave boys and girls on the frontline in Iraq and Afghanistan.

He trained at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, but his skills as a rugby player saw him perform on the pitch rather than the battlefield, something which he thinks about often.

"I did the training, I played for my country, but I never fought for my country. I was going to climb Everest anyway, but I want to raise money for military charities because I’ve still got my arms and legs and I haven’t had to make the difficult decisions soldiers face," he told the newspaper.

Writing in the Daily Mail recently, TV presenter and explorer Ben Fogle stated rowing across the Atlantic and trekking to the South Pole pushed him to the limit, but praised soldiers and other armed services personnel, saying what they go through is on another level.

Posted by Mark Wilkins