Former soldier discharged over mental health embarks on year-long fundraising mission to ‘turn negative into positive’

A former British Army soldier who was medically discharged for mental health reasons has embarked on a year-long fundraising mission to “turn a negative into a positive”.

Cameron Alexander, 39, based in Swindon, Wiltshire, joined the army at the age of 17 and spent over 21 years serving his country, excelling through the ranks to eventually hold the title of Warrant Officer Class Two, the second highest position for soldiers.

In September 2023, Cameron, who lives with his wife, Vikki, 46, and his two sons, Ryan, 17, and Jack, 15, noticed he was experiencing “violent” and “intrusive” thoughts, which transpired into harm OCD, obsessions and compulsions of hurting yourself or others, and he was later diagnosed with anxiety and depression.

Cameron was medically discharged from the army for mental health reasons in February this year, and while he now works as a civil servant, he has also turned his attention to a year-long fundraising effort to “give back”, completing one mammoth challenge every month for a different charity.

His tasks so far have included completing 2,000 burpees throughout the month of February to raise money for Combat Stress, doing 6,000 press-ups in June for the Teenage Cancer Trust, and running 2.5 kilometres every hour for 25 hours while carrying 25lbs for Mind in July.

Raising over £1,900 so far, Cameron hopes his efforts will raise awareness of mental health struggles among men and break down the “massive stigma” around the topic.

“I started looking at my situation as a way to try and help others, to try and turn a negative into a positive,” Cameron told PA Real Life.

“I felt like I was hiding away at first but then I thought, I’m not going to hide this anymore, I’m going to own it.

“Still, in this day and age, there is a massive stigma attached to mental health, especially amongst men.

“The best thing to do is to talk about it, or talk to someone who you think is struggling.

“Taking that first step makes a massive difference – it puts a light on in the distance.”

Cameron joined the British Army at the age of 17 in January 2004, where he spent the first six years as a driver within The Royal Logistic Corps.

He then transferred to the movement control trade, spending four years stationed in Germany before working for another 11 years in a base near Cirencester.

In this role, Cameron worked to ensure personnel, kit and equipment were deployed safely and securely around the globe for operations and exercises.

In September 2023, Cameron said he started experiencing “violent” and “intrusive” thoughts, which were aimed towards adult males.

After going to a doctor to discuss the problem, and speaking to his boss, Cameron was instructed to start working from home in November 2023 for the duty of care of both himself and those around him.

“It was really from there where I realised I was starting to struggle with mental health,” he said.

“The thoughts themselves were very violent, and it was all geared and aimed towards adult males.”

Cameron was aided throughout this time by the Departments of Community Mental Health (DCMH), which offer mental health support to serving army personnel and reservists.

He was found to have harm OCD – obsessive, compulsive and intrusive thoughts of hurting yourself or others – and he was diagnosed with anxiety and depression.

“I was worried about these thoughts coming into my head, so I didn’t want to go into public spaces which then caused that depressed state,” Cameron explained.

Throughout this time, Cameron found hope and an “escape” by helping to coach several local football teams.

“It almost sounds contradictory, but coaching and helping the team was almost like my escape, and I was able to switch off from absolutely everything,” he said.

“It was my saving grace and it stopped me from going down some really dark holes.”

He added: “I’ve always been interested in helping others develop, I feel like I’ve achieved something when I do.”

In February 2025, Cameron was medically discharged from the army for mental health reasons, serving for 21 years and two months in total.

At the time he was discharged, Cameron held the rank of a Warrant Officer Class Two, the equivalent of a Sergeant Major, the second highest position for soldiers.

“I almost felt embarrassed with regards to the mental health side – any time someone asked me about it, I’d just sort of shrug it off,” Cameron said.

“As time went on, I started to realise there was nothing to be embarrassed about and I wanted to use my situation to try and help.

“When people started asking me about it, I’d sit there and open up about my mental health struggles.

“I may be completely wrong, but I thought I was fairly highly regarded and well-respected in my regiment, so I thought if I can start speaking about the struggles I’ve got, someone else out there might be able to do the same after hearing it from me.”

Cameron said he continues to struggle with his mental health, but he has been able to “cope” by identifying his triggers and having therapy regularly.

He has now turned his attention towards a year-long fundraising mission, taking on a different gruelling task each month for a different charity, and concentrating on those which are aimed towards men, young lives and mental health support.

In January, he ran 180 miles for Prostate Cancer UK, raising £410, followed by completing 2,000 burpees throughout the month of February for Combat Stress, where he raised £322.

Cameron then took part in The Great Tommy Sleep Out, where he slept outside for the entire month of March, raising £275 for the Royal British Legion Industries (RBLI), a national veterans charity.

In April, Cameron raised £380 for Young Minds by tackling the David Goggins Challenge, which consists of running four miles every four hours for 48 hours.

He then took part in The Longevity Games in May, a fitness challenge focused on strength and well-being, for The Kelly Foundation, a mental health support charity based in Swindon, raising £185.

Cameron raised £105 for the Teenage Cancer Trust in June by completing 6,000 push-ups, and in July, he ran 2.5 kilometres every hour for 25 hours while carrying 25lbs of weight, raising £225 for Mind.

This month has marked Cameron’s favourite challenge so far as he is joined by his son, Jack, to complete various indoor bouldering challenges, raising money for Calm, a suicide prevention charity.

He has raised over £1,900 so far, and while he does not have an overall fundraising goal, he aims to “give back” and raise awareness of men’s mental health throughout the process.

Cameron said he does not have a fixed plan for the rest of the year, opting to decide as he goes along – but for September, he hopes to take on a cycling challenge.

“It’s not so much about the money, but the small steps and to me, those small steps make a big difference,” he said.

To find out more about Cameron’s August fundraising challenge, visit his JustGiving page here: justgiving.com/page/climb-against-living-miserably