A former Royal Marine, forced to give up his career due to an incurable brain tumour, has just completed one of the world’s toughest commando endurance courses.
Lance Corporal Rian Ilett, 36, from Portsmouth, was given less than 18 months to live after a glioblastoma diagnosis in March 2019. Known as Twiggy, Rian’s tumour was discovered during treatment after being hit by an ISIS anti-tank missile – a story recently covered in the Daily Star.
Eighteen years after being at the Commando Training Centre in Devon as a recruit, Rian returned to successfully complete the Royal Marines Endurance Commando Test a second time. Facing two miles of tunnels, streams, pools, woods and bogs, then a run back to camp, Rian raised more than £5,700 for Brain Tumour Research.
Rian said: “To qualify, the course needs to be completed in 73 minutes, but I did it in 71 minutes and 11 seconds. It was hard graft and very cold, but I got it done. It was quite nostalgic to be doing it after 18 years.
“My career ended abruptly. I went from being in one of the best military teams in the world to not even being able to drive. I needed to do this course to prove that, despite everything, I’m still a Commando.”
In December 2021, Rian published a memoir about about his time on the battlefield and the tumour ward. One of the main themes in ‘Every Day Is A Battle: Fighting Demons, Jihadis and Terminal Cancer’ is overcoming adversity.
He said: “In March, it will be six years since my diagnosis. It feels like a double-edged sword. I love the fact I’m still alive, but I can’t pass a medical for anything. I’ve once again passed the Commando test, but I can no longer be a Commando. It’s so frustrating.”
You can purchase Rian’s memoir here, or donate to us via his GiveWheel page. Alternatively, if you’ve been inspired by Rian’s grit and resolve, you can fundraise for vital research your own way.
Related reading:
Published Monday 13th January 2025.