Donnie Campbell has been named as an ambassador of the charity Venture Trust.
Donnie, of Inverness, holds the record for a completing a round of the 282 Scottish Munros in 31 days and is one of Scotland’s top running coaches.
His main sport is ultra mountain running and he has represented Team GB at the world trail running championships. More recently, he set a record for cycling Scotland’s Badger Divide route.
Donnie has an incredible amount of motivation, stamina and self-belief and he aims to encourage others to be the best they can be.
Mike Strang, Interm CEO at Venture Trust, said: “Donnie is a shining example of what hard work, motivation and self-belief can achieve. As an ex-marine turned ultra-mountain runner, Donnie is well placed to inspire the people we work with, who may not have had the best start in life. We are delighted to have Donnie on board.”
Mike continued: “Donnie’s appointment is particularly timely as we recently launched an ‘outdoor therapy’ service, which provides mental health support to veterans struggling with their transitioning to civilian life and helps them as they look for new goals and aspirations.”
What is Venture Trust?
Venture Trust works with people to gain the life skills, stability and confidence needed to reach their potential. Through person-centred support in communities and experiential learning in the Scottish outdoors, the charity challenges individuals to reflect on beliefs, attitudes and behaviours so they can unlock skills and learn new and more positive ways of approaching situations.
Venture Trust believes Donnie is an inspiration to those facing and overcoming challenging circumstances.
Donnie said: “My achievements are about building mental stamina, as much as physical stamina. When you face difficult circumstances, you know you have been through it before, and you can get through it again.
“The circumstances I’ve faced in life might be different, but by offering the right support and opportunities to learn out in the wild, I believe everyone working with Venture Trust has the chance to rise from their challenges and become the best version of themselves.”
Growing up in the Isle of Skye, Donnie is used to being in the countryside and surrounded by nature. He joined the Royal Marine Commando aged 17 and went to Iraq at 18. He faced many challenges at a young age.
Donnie left the Marines to study sports coaching and development. He wanted to use his enthusiasm and coaching skills to encourage other people to reach their goals.
Mike said: “We are really excited about working with Donnie and hope that together we can really inspire people to try new experiences, especially in the outdoors, and push themselves to achieve their goals and reach their potential.”
Donnie added: “Venture Trust is a great charity.”