Three Oxfordshire competitors to take part in the Invictus Games

The Invictus Games is an international sport event for wounded, injured and sick servicemen and women, both serving and veterans.

It uses the power of sport to inspire recovery and support rehabilitation

Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, was inspired to create the games after visiting the Warrior Games in America in 2013.

Adam Backhouse, 44, was a Warrant Officer Class One with in the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers and was the Regimental Sergeant Major of the Land Command and Staff College, Shrivenham.

In 2004, whist playing rugby for the battalion, Adam broke his leg and sustained a serious back injury which remained undiagnosed for more than 10 years.

Not realising the severity of his injury, Adam quickly returned to active service. He was deployed to Iraq and five tours of Afghanistan between 2006 and 2013.

Unfortunately, activity exacerbated Adam’s back injury and in 2016 he ended up in hospital, diagnosed with herniated and crushed discs in his back and a fractured pelvis.

He still experiences regular nerve pain, has no feeling in his left leg and is currently awaiting a fourth back operation.

After 22 years of military service in places including Kosovo, Northern Ireland and Afghanistan Adam was also diagnosed with PTSD in 2019.

He had become depressive and was experiencing flashbacks, nightmares and memory loss. Recently Adam has been receiving therapy from the NHS-backed Operation Courage programme, which he says has been amazing and has helped him to develop successful coping mechanisms.

Adam will be taking part in cycling events in Düsseldorf.

He said: “Being part of Team UK has given me my confidence back as well as a huge sense of pride.

"I want to go out there and do my best but ultimately, it doesn’t matter where you finish, everyone is there to support each other and enjoy what they love doing.

"As a Regimental Sergeant Major, some people I’ve served with may not realise what I’ve been through. I want them to know it’s perfectly fine to be open about your physical injuries and mental health issues and to ask for help.

"So, if I fall off my bike I don’t really care, I’ll probably get more attention and if that helps get that message out there, for me that will be a victory.”

Clare Gibson, 48, served as a Combat Medical Technician in the Royal Army Medical Corps from 1997 to 2001.

A keen sportswoman, Clare was a fitness instructor, both before and after leaving the Army. However, in 2012, she was diagnosed with a rare neurological inflammatory condition called Neuro Behcet’s Disease, leaving her with severely impaired mobility.

She is able to walk short distances with crutches and uses a wheelchair for longer distances.

In 1999 Clare was deployed to Kosovo where she served as a medic and as a driver. It was her experiences during this time that led to her being diagnosed with PTSD 18 years later.

One of the biggest blows for Clare after becoming ill was not being able to run any more. However, she now uses a hand-bike to keep fit and, since attending the Invictus Games training camps, has become a keen wheelchair basketball player.

Although she doesn’t know when the disease may flare up again, Clare’s goal is to stay as fit and active as she can for as long as she can to help maintain her mobility and slow the disease down.

She will be competing in athletics, sitting volleyball and wheelchair basketball.

She said: "In 2017 when I was being treated in hospital, I was watching the Invictus Games on TV and I said to one of the nurses 'I’m going to do that one day'. This year it finally all fell into place.

"I’m so excited to be taking part and representing my country like I did when I was in service. Being part of Team UK is like having a new extended family."

Robert 'Bob' Grantham, 28, is an RAF Aircraft Maintenance Technician working on Puma helicopters as part of 33 Squadron at RAF Benson.

While competing in an Ironman triathlon event in 2021, he suffered a serious injury to his ankle.

Not realising the severity of the injury, he continued training for a subsequent ultra-marathon event. Three months later, Robert was diagnosed with a fractured tibia and ligament damage as well as a ganglion cyst at the site of the ligament sprain.

For Robert, running has always been an important form of stress relief. RAF rehabilitation instructors and physios have been helping him with his recovery and he has now adapted his techniques to enable him to continue to swim and cycle.

This has helped him strengthen his ankle, but he says the recovery is a long slow process.

Previously Robert worked on Hercules aircraft and completed a two-month tour of Afghanistan. His experiences have contributed to some PTSD for which he has received counselling and says has improved as a result.

He will compete in indoor rowing and swimming.

Robert said being able to speak to fellow Invictus participants who understand his experiences has further improved his mental wellbeing.

“Being part of Team UK means a huge amount to me. Now I have the goal of getting to the Invictus Games and being the best I can, it’s given me extra motivation to improve my swimming and to keep going to the gym to do my rehabilitation work," he said.

"This was just the push I needed to keep improving and increasing my belief that I can do it.

"Hopefully, through my experiences I can help other people dealing with injuries and show that you can still push yourself and achieve a lot.

"The biggest thing for me is knowing that just because I have an injury it doesn’t stop me doing what I want to do.”

Royal British Legion, the UK’s biggest armed forces charity, is leading a team of veterans and military personnel in this year’s Invictus Games.

Find out more about Royal British Legion’s role in the games and how it is here to support everyone who has served in the armed forces and faced injury or illness at rbl.org.uk/Invictus