Combat Stress walk for veterans stops in Dalkeith

Wednesday June 11th 2025

Chris McDowell arriving at Tesco Dalkeith during his 475 mile charity walk

Written by Midlothian View Reporter, Liam Eunson

Ex-RAF now maintenance technician for a Norfolk Tesco stopped at Tesco Dalkeith today for his first stop in his 475 mile charity walk from Tesco Corstorphine to the Tesco Headquarters in Welwyn Garden City near London, to raise money for Combat Stress.

After spending 20 years in the RAF, Chris McDowell is raising money for Combat Stress by walking to 20 Tesco stores over 15 days from Corstorphine to Welwyn Garden City on a 475 mile walk carrying a symbolic medicine ball that represents the invisible weight many veterans carry each day as they live with PTSD, anxiety, depression and other mental health issues.

Combat Stress is a mental health charity that supports veterans by providing clinical treatment and overall support for veterans struggling with mental health.

Raising money for veteran charity’s last year, 12 Tesco workers across the UK wore medicine balls round their ankles whilst they worked. Realising one medicine ball had not been returned from a Tesco in Corstorphine, Chris took it upon himself to collect it and walk it back to the Tesco Welwyn Garden City Headquarters.

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“I am walking from Edinburgh to Welwyn Garden City Tesco Headquarters and I am stopping off at 20 Tesco’s on the way”, Chris explained, “The idea is because Tesco is the biggest employer of ex-servicemen and on the way I will have a chat to ex-servicemen, see how their mental health is doing, see how Tesco is helping them”.

“It is all for Combat Stress because they help with soldiers like myself who have struggled and need someone to talk to. You know years ago there wasnt anything like Combat Stress and everyone kind of shoved everything under the carpet and never spoke but now we are talking as much as we can”.

Underestimating the amount of hills in Edinburgh, Chris began his journey today at the Corstorphine Tesco, making his 1st official stop in Dalkeith where he was greeted with a piper, a round of applause, balloons and a small buffet.

Chris McDowell alongside the Dalkeith Tesco team

“I got to Edinburgh and there was a hill and I said ‘that’s alright it’s only a hill’, but then there was another hill, then another hill. During the walk for me, you’re just in your own thoughts and it was only when I realised the amount of support I’ve got I felt happier. Some people who don’t even know me are messaging because they saw it on our Arm Forces network or have donated through our donation pages.”

With goals of moving into a Tesco programme that further assists veterans’ transition into work places, Chris wants to help ex-servicemen who lack qualifications and certain workplace skills after leaving the military by running and organising training events through Tesco, helping with issues he experienced himself.

Chris is part of Tesco’s Armed Forces Network after spending 20 years in the RAF, taking part and organising fundraisers each year to support veterans all over the country but this year is his biggest challenge yet but doing it for a cause so close to his heart powers him through the daily endless miles.

He explained, “To do a marathon is easy but to do a marathon every day for 15-days isn’t. Because of the weight of the medicine ball you are compensating all the time, after the 1st couple of miles you don’t really feel it but today, round about seven miles in I did”.

Camping in a campervan Tesco provided with his wife on his 475 mile journey, Chris left his 13 year old son at home who is cheering on everyday as his dad does an incredibly strenuous journey for a great cause. Having his phone ringing with positive messages alongside being supported by great people, Chris makes his way to Galashiels tonight where he will spend his 1st night in his new campervan home and rest up for a big 99.4 mile walk tomorrow down to Consett.