A POSTMAN from Stroud conquered a gruelling 54-mile hike this year to raise money for ABF The Soldiers Charity.

After serving for 9 years in the Coldstream Guards, Kevin Cooke who suffers from PTSD and type 1 diabetes discussed why he is inspired by the Cateran Yomp.

"During my time in the army I did five tours which took me to Bosnia and Northern Ireland," said Kevin.

"This inspired me to help others who suffer from mental health illnesses."

After managing an impressive time of 19 hours in last years hike to come 67th out of nearly 800 participants Kevin eclipsed his record.

"I managed to complete the hike in just over 17 hours out of 886 who went the full distance," added Kevin.

This put him in the top 50, in an event that is classed as the biggest and toughest of this type.

Overall participants raised a massive £250,000 for ABF in support of military veterans.

"After finishing I felt quite emotional and I signed up for next year straight away," Kevin explained.

"In the future it would be nice if more residents from Stroud would take part in this wonderful event."

For more information on the Cateran Yomp please visit facebook.com/cateranyomp