Cycle tour of war sites 'a very emotional experience' for ex-soldier Kev
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An ex-soldier from Wick was left feeling grateful to be alive as he reflected on the human cost of war during a three-day charity bike ride around battlefield sites and cemeteries in northern France and Belgium.
Kev Stewart, a veteran of Northern Ireland and Afghanistan, covered a 300km route on the Pedal to Ypres challenge organised by the Royal British Legion.
The 44-year-old was the only participant from Scotland among the group of around 40 who cycled to locations such as Arras, Vimy Ridge, Tyne Cot, Notre-Dame de Lorette and the Menin Gate and he was overwhelmed by the sheer number of war graves.
"It was a very, very emotional experience," Kev said. "It was a mixture of emotions.
"Initially I had a feeling of pride and gratitude – proud of the soldiers, proud of being British, and gratitude for their sacrifice.
"Then I was filled with sadness and overwhelming grief, looking at all those graves, especially at Tyne Cot and Notre-Dame de Lorette. There are thousands and thousands of graves and each one of those graves is a soul, is a person.
"Because of the sheer amount I found it hard to get my head round it, the human cost of war. It's quite hard to comprehend.
"Each one of them was a soul, each one of them had a family, a mother and father. They could have had kids and wives.
"You get drawn into thinking they're just bits of stone but each one of them was a person, somebody's son, somebody's dad, somebody's brother. It was very overwhelming.
"It fills me with absolute gratitude – grateful for being alive, grateful for where you are, especially as I've experienced war, and grateful for the sacrifice they made.
"It's because of their sacrifice that we have peace and we live in a democracy."
Kev, a committee member and flag-bearer for the Legion's Wick, Canisbay and Latheron branch, has raised £1173 on his JustGiving fundraising page, with more to be added to that total.
He served in Northern Ireland in the mid-1990s with The Highlanders, leaving the regular army with the rank of lance-corporal. He then joined the Territorial Army and had two tours in Afghanistan between 2001 and 2003.
Kev's experiences in Afghanistan left him with post-traumatic stress disorder. In the run-up to the Ypres trip he had spoken of the "night terrors, nightmares, depression and anxiety" he suffered.
It was during this time that Kev found his faith in God and he is now studying for a Christian theology degree through the Highland Theological College in Dingwall.
The first day of the ride was the longest, at 125km, in temperatures of up to 37C. Kev carried fluid supplies on his back to ensure he could keep hydrated.
"It's hard going in the heat but I just kept grinding away, kept pushing," he said.
After reaching Ypres on the second day, the final section of the journey involved cycling back to Calais.
Kev undertook the ride after coming through two physical ordeals over the past 18 months. First he contracted a near-fatal case of meningitis, then suffered a freak accident that left him with a broken tibia and fibula and a dislocated ankle.
He had to have his ankle rebuilt and he has a metal plate down the side of his right leg, and felt the effects of the injury during the trip.
"It was quite challenging," Kev said. "It was swelling up a lot, it was painful.
"But to be honest, visiting these sites put it into perspective. It's really nothing, it's just a flesh wound."
He is considering taking part in another three-day Legion cycling challenge next year, covering a longer route in Normandy to mark the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings.
