Imagine your life changing overnight. Suddenly, the world you knew is not accessible. You must start from scratch, all over again. This is happening right now. Every day, seven people leave the Armed Forces with life changing injuries. Many struggle, meaning they and their families need specialist help to aid recovery from wounds both visible and hidden. Your donation allows Help for Heroes to continue providing vital support, now and in the future. Thank you for supporting me, Help for Heroes and all those who need them.

Team Members:

Vicki Ross:

Warrant Officer Class Two Yeoman of Signals in the British Army, Victoria Ross is determined on her Invictus journey, to rediscover the person she once was. She says “If you asked the people in my life who I am they might say Wife, Mummy, Friend, or even Soldier. If you ask me who I am, I would say I’m physically, mentally and emotionally lost and lonely. I once was a high-level athlete in several sports, an outstanding soldier, the best Mum/Wife in the world, confident, outgoing, unstoppable and determined to succeed, to be the best at all I did.”

The 41-year-old Warrant Officer from Wiltshire competed in the recent Invictus UK Trials in Sheffield where she was part of the Gold medal-winning team in Wheelchair Basketball. Victoria credits the Trials as her ‘first stepping stone on the journey of a long road.”

When asked what representing Team UK at the Invictus Games The Hague 2020 would mean to her, she said:” This journey will give me focus, a sense of purpose; make me believe I can accomplish anything as I did before. That focus will bring physical benefits allowing me to explore my potential within this unfamiliar environment. Ultimately, I want to find my new identity, find my own self-worth, in turn helping those around me do the same, sharing the journey together. I want to be the one that defines me. I need my inner smile back and to kick start the new me.”

Chris Anslow:

Former British Army veteran Christopher Anslow continues to struggle with his self-confidence and self-belief since leaving the Army.  Despite chieving a gold medal at the recent Invictus UK Trials, held in Sheffield earlier this year, Christopher acknowledges that he is still at the beginning of his sports recovery and Invictus journey.

Competing at the training camps and taking part in the Trials re-ignited so much for him: ”Just being around my peers and not having to explain myself and also not have to curtail my humour has been somewhat liberating also. Most service personnel have the same warped humour and it always helps not having to keep a guard up and to just relax around people who just 'get you'.  It also helps me get out of my comfort zone and push me to interact with people which I normally avoid.”

Following the UK Trials, Christopher has kept in contact with a friend who plays in a local wheelchair basketball team – Christopher plans to involve himself in the training sessions to assist him with his wheelchair skills.

In addition, the Army veteran is making plans to involve himself in more sport as both participant and coach :”I have already made steps in archery by taking part in some indoor competitions last winter and will be doing the same this winter season. I also became the chairman of the club I am in The Bowmen of Bruntwood, and I will be looking to complete a level one coaching course before next summer so I can begin giving back and hopefully get into coaching disabled people, not just veterans.”

Kelly Leonard UK Vice Captain:

As a child, competitive sports were a major part of Kelly’s life. But since her accident, the former RAF Physical Training Instructor let her injury define her. She lost focus on sport and her physical and mental recovery suffered. It left Kelly with complete loss of confidence and self- belief. Yet through the Invictus Games, she is surrounded by people who do not judge but understand, talk and offer support.

The Welsh 41-year-old living in Shropshire said: “They have empowered me to achieve the best I can be. The UK Trials was a turning point in my life, I am back competing and I want more. I have started to believe in myself and was proud to show my children, who have never seen me without disability, that with self-belief you can accomplish anything. I have dreamt of representing my country at the highest level, something I thought would never be a part of my life again.”

Lucy Holt:

A keen netball player, Lucy struggled to come to terms with the end of her playing career when she suffered a serious ankle injury. It had a knock on effect on her mental health and she began feeling very low. The Invictus Games has opened her up to new sports which she can still do and enjoy despite her injury and she has reaped the benefits.

The 27-year-old former Senior Aircraftsman in the RAF hopes to use the Invictus experience to gain teaching qualifications so she can work with disabled children. She said: “I will continue to train and work hard on my fitness, confidence and wellbeing to enable me to be the best I can within my disability. I feel this will help me in my continued recovery phase which may never end, as such, but however it will certainly help me focus on what can be achieved rather than what can’t be.”

"After the surgery, they thought it was fine, then the wound on the outside started to break down because it didn't have a blood supply. I was left with a hole in my foot. They had to take the blood supply from the back of the foot to the front.”

The injury has taken its toll on Lucy, who says she has struggled with her mental health since the incident.

As a result of her injuries, Lucy was medically discharged and now works for Lincolnshire Community Health Service.

As 4 members of the UK Invictus Team Heading to the Hague in 2021 we thought that this is one way we can keep training as a team and at the same time Raising money for a charity that has touched our Hearts and Give us the Strength and courage to compete again. During these difficult times it is important not keep up with our Training for both physically and mental health with continuing our training in our sport, we have the potential to come out the other side stronger, both physically and mentally as individuals and as a team.