War Veteran Creates London Poppy Route with GPS Tracking
30 Dec 201427 year old war veteran, Ben McBean, was seriously injured while serving in Afghanistan. Rather than focusing on the things he can no longer do, he decided to turn his attention to something he could do to honor those who have died in the line of duty.
His solution was to run a 31-mile path around the city of London in the shape of a poppy.
Appropriate for a Poppy Day celebration, though it may be, it posed a specific challenge for McBean who had lost his left arm and right leg as a result of a mine blast in 2008.
McBean used GPS tracking to trace his path around the city marking the outline of the poppy and then called on others to fill in the flower by running through city streets. Altogether, people ran 7,500 miles.
It wasn’t just about the running, or even the symbolism for McBean. It was an opportunity to raise awareness and funds for the Royal British Legion who had supported him through his lengthy recovery after his injuries occurred. People who participated in the “filling in” of the poppy were encouraged to engage in their own fundraising and awareness building efforts.
All the runners worked together, using their own GPS enabled phones and apps like MapMyRun, RunKeeper, and Strava, to fill in the poppy and a simple act of one man has turned into a labor of love for people all across the UK. Efforts so far have resulted in 7,500 miles of roads throughout London and nearly £15,000 raised for the Royal British Legion.
McBean encourages anyone still interested in participating to do so – even if they aren’t able to run, suggesting they walk if this is the case – and simply to remember those who gave so much in service to the country and people they love.
Poppies are flowers of remembrance. He wants people to just walk, if that’s what works best for them, and remember those who gave all in service to their country. It is especially poignant that this act comes in time to mark the 100 year anniversary of England’s entrance into World War One.
There are other commemorations being held throughout London including a sea of poppies in the dry moat surrounding the Tower of London. This sea includes 888,246 red ceramic poppies. Each hand-made ceramic poppy represents a British or Colonial soldier killed in service throughout the war.
While it’s important to remember soldiers who died so long ago, McBean also wants to emphasize that there are soldiers today who aren’t coming home who are all leaving friends, wives, children, parents, and loved ones behind.
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