TWO teenagers have been on the trip of a lifetime when they marched 100 miles across Holland.

After a rigorous training process, Cadet Joshua Keogh and Cadet Corporal Iestyn Roderick were selected out of hundreds of air cadets from across south Wales to be part of an elite group of marchers.

Joshua, from Talley, near Llangadog and Iestyn, from Ammanford were selected out of 80 of the fittest and strongest mentally willed Air Cadets in south Wales to embark on the Nijmegen March.

The pair, who are part of the 2475 Ammanford Squadron Air Cadets, started training in October of last year,beginning by walking 20 to 25km over two days.

The distances were slowly built up over the next eight months, during which time, the teens were put through their paces at two qualifying events in England and mountainous terrain in Scotland.

In their final training march in June, they covered 90km over two days.

Joshua, 16 and Iestyn, 18, embarked on the 160km march last month.

The cadets marched out of the gates at Nijmegen at 5.30am on Tuesday, July 18 along with ten other cadets and two staff members to complete the toughest challenge in the Air Cadet Organisation.

The pair were joined by over 5,500 members of the world’s military and around 46,000 civilians who opted to take on the challenge.

Four days later, they had completed the challenge, and couldn’t wait to get the 10kg dead weight off their backs.

Spokeperson for the Ammanford Squadron, Aled Davies, said: “We are so proud of the boys.

“The Nijmegen March is the toughest challenge a cadet can do - which is why they go through such a rigorous selection process.

“Only the best get chosen.”

Teens are eligible join the Air Cadets from year 8.

The Squadron welcomes newcomers every Monday and Wednesday from 7.30pm.