A near-fatal skydive accident has motivated a former British soldier to run 13,000km from Beijing to London in an epic charity challenge. Jack Jarvis, 32, from Hamble, Hampshire, survived a terrifying freefall at 120mph when his parachute malfunctioned during his 26th jump in 2023.
Hurtling towards the ground at 3000ft, the parachute became tangled around his leg. The force of the chute opening violently dislocated his knee. “The sound was absolutely horrific. My knee was facing away from my body and my foot facing towards it,” Jarvis recalled. Despite the agony, he managed to untangle himself and land on one leg in Netheravon, Wiltshire.
After surgery and 18 months of rehabilitation, Jarvis is now ready for his greatest challenge yet. Starting next month, he will run approximately 50km (31 miles) every day, covering 13,000km (over 8000 miles) through 18 countries. The journey will begin in Beijing, China, and end at Trafalgar Square in London around March 2027.
Jarvis aims to raise £1 million for Brainstrust, a UK-based brain tumour charity. His inspiration is his late grandfather, John Stratton, known as Budgie, who died of a brain tumour in 2007 at age 52. “Granddad Budgie was the landlord of the Victory Inn in Hamble. He was always making me laugh. I was absolutely devastated when he died,” Jarvis said.
The route will take Jarvis through China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey, Greece, Bulgaria, Serbia, Bosnia, Croatia, Slovenia, Austria, Germany, France, and finally England. A small crew in a camper van will support him, providing rest and recovery. His girlfriend Charlotte plans to join him after China.
Jarvis, a former soldier with 14 years of service, has a history of extreme endurance challenges. In 2022, he became the first person to row across the Atlantic alone, raising £76,000 for charity. He also crossed the Atacama Desert and rowed from New York City to the UK in 2025. This year, he won the Mackyard Last Man Standing Ultra Marathon and completed the London Marathon in 3 hours 29 minutes.
Despite doctors warning of long-term implications from his knee injury, Jarvis remains determined. “After the accident, I had to rebuild everything. This challenge is the ultimate test of that. There’s never a perfect time to take on something like this. The world feels uncertain right now, but that’s exactly why I want to do it: to show what’s still possible,” he said.
Will Jones, founder of Brainstrust, praised Jarvis’s efforts: “Every step Jack takes brings us closer to reaching 10,000 people each year. The support we provide can make a life-changing difference.”
Jarvis has secured sponsorship from nutrition company Huel, sport supplement brand fourfive, and bodywash creators Bob, but seeks more. “If I want people to donate their hard-earned cash, I want to do something big so they feel they’re getting their money’s worth,” he said.
