Event Details- 

http://www.runthrough.co.uk/?event=march-victoria-park-race 

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Rakesh Chauhan was my Uncle. 

“Of the many things I’ve heard said about Rakesh there’s one that sticks with me: ‘…the smartest man in the room…'” – it was, invariably, true in every sense: quick witted, bright and immaculately dressed! Flight Lt. Rakesh Chauhan was an incredibly dedicated individual – unfailing in his devotion to his friends and in uniform, praised by his commanding officers for his immediate grasp of the complexities of his intelligence brief. In his enduring memory we’ve documented his complicated journey to become the man we knew and loved:

Rakesh started his journey in sunny Birmingham where he laid the foundations for many of the things he was passionate about, among them: travel, the outdoors and the RAF. I suppose Rakesh would struggle to admit that he was a Brummie, but he was always proud of where he came from. There were many individuals from his friends and family who couldn’t wholly avoid his wrath on account of failure to meet the very high standards he set for himself and those around him. However his constant attention to the minutiae of all that he said and did is testament to his great sense of pride and unerring discipline.

Rakesh loved to travel and was determined to see as many different places as possible when he could. As a result there are many stories of his escapades whilst abroad, some of which he would never care to have mentioned (gastroenteritis on top of a mountain in Peru certainly springs to mind!).

Rakesh also loved activities in the great outdoors, in particular mountain climbing and trekking. This speaks of his unwillingness to sit still and to get out and do something! The trust hopes to take inspiration from this and we hope to organise at least 2 fundraising events each year, with the hope of raising money initially for the Air Ambulance which is a cause close to Rakesh and thereafter assorted projects which we hope to give more details about at a later stage.

Rakesh’s other great love was the RAF. Of course being Rakesh he couldn’t simply be an officer, he had to make it more complicated. He in fact received his first commission as a reservist at the East Scotland University Air Squadron (ESUAS) which he in turn had to give up before beginning officer training at Cranwell.

This describes Rakesh’s absolute dedication and passion for the armed forces but furthermore it demonstrates his desire to do everything he took part in to the very best of his ability and always put everything into all that he did. I was told by a senior officer of his that his chosen career was not something most people could do yet he excelled at it. This reflects in all aspects of his life where everything he turned his mind to was always extremely well planned and completed as best as it could be.

Above all of this though. The one thing people remember most about Rakesh is his constant desire to help people. Anyone who has had the privilege of knowing him will have been helped by him in some way. Occasionally his advice was unwelcome (not that this ever stopped him anyway) but no one could ever question his heart. It is this desire to help that has inspired the creation of this trust. We hope it will be an enduring tribute to his memory.

The Flight Lieutenant Rakesh Chauhan Trust

This trust has been established in memory of Flight Lieutenant Rakesh Chauhan. The primary recipient of any donations made by the trust will be the Air Ambulance Service as this was a cause that was dear to Rakesh. Secondary recipients will include wounded veterans and related causes.