Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.
In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.
Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.
It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.
William Ernest Henley
As I sit on my parent’s veranda deep in the Spanish countryside I find myself reminiscing about my time in the Invictus Games. Right from day one the atmosphere surrounding the Invictus Games has been incredible and the crowd somewhat deafening. Let me take you back to the opening ceremony where behind the scenes 130 British competitors eagerly await the go ahead from the organisers to enter the arena where a staggering eight thousand people were waiting to see loved ones and show their support to everyone involved.
We, the British Armed Forces Team, were last go into the arena and as every team before us walked in we could hear the crowd go wild and I could see all of my fellow competitors had a huge smile on their faces as we knew that that would be us very soon. Finally the call came to start moving forward and we had arrived on the outskirts of the arena. My heart was pounding and the hairs on the back of my neck were standing tall and excitement was starting to bubble over, I could barely contain myself. I heard the voice over the PA system introduce the British Armed Forces Team and we started to proceed into the arena and as we walked in the crowd was so loud cheering us on it was deafening and an incredible moment and one that I shall never forget. Little did I know that this was just a taste of things to come!
Day one saw the athletics at the Lee Valley Athletics Centre where you could see sheer determination, strength and courage as people with all sorts of injuries compete against one another for that Gold medal. Lots of people were in attendance from school children to the Royals, but for me the highlights of that day would have to be Dave Henson and Joe Townsend. Dave Henson’s time for the 200m was so good it put him 8th best in the UK at that time which is an incredible thing to do considering he has not long been training. Joe (the machine) Townsend was in all the wheel chair races and won them by a considerable margin, especially the 1500m, by the time he had finished he had lapped absolutely everybody at least once.
Day two and we were in the Copper Box for the long awaited Wheelchair rugby final between USA and Team GB, however before that we saw celebrities from the rugby world like Johnny Wilkinson, Clive Woodward, Mike Tindall and other well-known faces like Dame Kelly Holmes, Prince Harry and many others get together and fight it out on the court in the celebrity Wheelchair Rugby Match. The highlight of that game would be the sin binning of Prince Harry and as it was a light hearted game the crowd loved to see that. The main game though was the one to watch with it being broadcast live across the nation and with millions of people watching from their front rooms we hoped it didn’t disappoint. The game was so close with only one point in it at all times and by half time it was neck and neck with seven points apiece. This was turning out to be an epic battle of all proportion. The second half was nail biting action and with USA getting more sin bins and the emphasis was on us to capitalise on the power plays, but for some reason we couldn’t get over two points clear and USA seem to come back and equalise. We were all on the edge of our seats and the volume in the Copper Box was so loud the roof seemed to lift off. With only a minute left on the clock and all is level, this is really going to come down to the last few seconds and see who will hold their nerve. Team GB has the ball now with 30 seconds on the clock everybody everywhere is shouting at the players the clock is counting down and people are starting to think it will go to extra time, but, Team GB’s captain Charlie Walker is handed the ball and the crowd go completely silent, they can see the gap to the try line, but can he make it. Charlie with all his strength and will power moves towards the try line and we can all see the USA defender coming in at speed to block him and with less than 20 seconds on the clock this has to be the last play surely… he somehow finds the gap and scores, the whole of the Copper Box along with everybody at home goes wild shouting and screaming.
There is only seconds on the clock now and surely USA cannot score. The buzzer sounds and that’s it GB have won the Gold medal. I see friends I have known for some time burst into tears as they congratulate each other, you can see all the hard work and all the late nights and all the time spent in the gym has been totally worth it. GB 14-13 USA
Day three was just as good with the archery and shooting and later that day we would be back in the Copper Box for the final of the basketball and USA were a team to be feared as we knew this was a sport they had really excelled in. We knew it would be a close match, but with the home advantage we hoped to come away with another victory over the USA. The match was not quite as close as the wheelchair rugby, but just as entertaining. The first half was neck and neck, but the second half was where Team GB put the power on and with a win of over seven points clear of USA it was a truly well-deserved win.
Day four was my day and I would play it out in the Aquatic Centre along with three thousand people cheering me and the rest of the competitors on. I was slightly nervous going in to the Aquatic Centre especially not knowing all the other competitors I was up against. Really, I just wanted to beat my personal bests and that would be my gold medal regardless of where I placed. My first race was coming up and as I stood in the tunnel I could hear them announcing the 50m Freestyle. That was our queue to walk out and take our places by the blocks. As I stood there I could see my fellow competitors all in the zone all focused on doing their best while representing their country. It was the sort of look I had seen in my men just before you went out on patrol in war torn Afghanistan or Iraq. The war maybe over for these men and women now, but I knew for every competitor the battle was just beginning and this was one battle I wanted to do well in.
As we were being introduced to the crowd I flashed back to why I was doing this and I remembered my good friend Rodney Wilson who died saving my life in Iraq. Since his tragic and courageous death I had effectively been living for two people and I knew as soon as that buzzer went off and I dived into that crystal clear water I would have him on my shoulder cheering me on all the way to the finish line. Well it worked as by a few thousandth of a second I came third and got the bronze medal. I was so pleased and it didn’t stop there as in the 100m Freestyle I got another Bronze medal. I was involved in four races and smashed all my PB’s and I knew I could walk away from the Invictus Games with my head held high. Success is personal and to succeed you don’t always have to have a Gold medal to show for it. It can be the mere fact that you had the courage to stand up on the start line and be counted or that you beat all your personal bests and came last in every race. Success is personal to you. But remember, you have to believe in yourself to achieve greatness!
The long lasting legacy of the Invictus Games will be that no matter how wounded, injured or sick you are in life, you can still change your life with sport and as we know the Invictus Games is not all about winning, and it really is about the taking part that is important. The pressure is on for Prince Harry as he now has to deliver the Invictus Games in a year or two and make it just as good if not better that the first ever Invictus Games as he has seen firsthand what sport can do for the soul and mind of an injured person.
Personally I want to thank all those involved behind the scenes, volunteers, the sponsors, BBC for televising it and above all the competitors for having the courage to come forward and compete and realise there full potential. Maybe you might see me at the next Invictus Games as I will still be aiming to better my swimming times.
Until next time folks