A MEDICALLY-retired army captain who lives in Elsdon has been chosen to represent the UK at the Invictus Games in Canada later this year.

Captain Ken Hargreaves says he feels honoured to be one of the three wounded veterans from the North-East selected to go to Toronto in September.

The 56-year-old was seriously wounded in Iraq in 2003 while working as an army nurse, specialising in trauma, on the front line. He has been left with a multitude of medical problems, including spinal injury, hearing loss and organ damage. He also suffers from M.E.

Forced into a wheelchair, Ken didn’t go out of the house for the first couple of years after he was injured.

He was – and still is – very happy in his own company, but his partner and carer Jennifer became worried about the effect that social isolation was having on him. Without realising it, he had become introverted.

Ten months ago he took up archery, which not only provided him with his pass out of the house, but also his passport to the Invictus Games.

Having shown potential right from the start when he joined Ponteland Archery Club, he was given coaching by Paralympic coach Helen George, thanks to the Help for Heroes Sports Recovery programme.

It was Helen who encouraged him to take part in the trials for the Invictus Games.

“I was a marksman in the army and the principles of shooting with a bow and arrow are the same,” he said. “I just happen to be reasonably good, but you never know how good you are until you enter a competition and I have been fortunate enough to win some.”

Most importantly of all, though, the sport has given him a new lease of life. He said: “It has given me a purpose. Attending training sessions makes me leave the house and I now have short-term goals and future aspirations.

“I also enjoy the camaraderie of being part of a team and the challenge of the sport.

“To go from that isolation to travelling to Toronto is a big thing for me personally, but I am equally excited that those who have supported me get to go too – Jennifer, Helen, my niece Alison, and not forgetting my assistance dog, Fred.”

The other two members of the North-Eastern trio are former Royal Marines Corporal Ian Ronald, from Sunderland, and ex-Army Corporal Ian Young, from Shotley Bridge.

When, at the age of just 24, Ian Ronald came round from a 12-hour operation to remove a brain tumour, he found himself paralysed from the neck down and unable to speak.

Fortunately those conditions were only temporary. With intensive therapy, his speech eventually returned and after seven months in a wheelchair, he slowly got back on his feet.

However, damage to his nerves and brain-stem left him with very poor co-ordination and put an end to his career in the Marines.

Rowing has proved to be his salvation. He first dipped his toe in the water using a rowing machine in the gym at the military’s Headley Court rehabilitation centre in Epsom.

Now aged 34, he is a member of the Tees Rowing Club in Stockton and his ambition is to make the GB Paralympic squad.

“I love being outside in the fresh air and pushing myself,” he said. “When your career in the military is taken away from you, you really miss it, but rowing has given me a new sense of purpose and as for going to the Invictus Games, well, even though the team has been announced and I am attending training camps, I can’t believe it is happening!

“It has revived my motivation to continuing pushing the boundaries and make headway in everything that I do. And the more I do, the more independent I become.”

Ian Young (44), on the other hand, found athletics was for him.

He joined the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers as soon as he left St Bede’s School in Consett and served for 12 years, rising to the rank of corporal and specialising in telecoms.

But the psychological impact of an incident he witnessed while serving in Northern Ireland 20 years ago began to take its toll, and in 2014, he was diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder, extreme anxiety and depression.

“I think deep down, part of me knew that something wasn’t right and hadn’t been for about 10 years,” he said.

“Lots of parts of my life were going wrong, my marriage broke down and I just realised that I couldn’t go on like that. I picked up the phone and asked for help.”

Support from the military charities PTSD Resolution and Help for Heroes helped the father of three find his feet again. He now has a new partner and is working as a freelance IT consultant.

He says the buzz of taking part in athletics improves his mental health. “Regular exercise can have a profoundly positive impact on my condition. It also relieves stress, improves memory and helps me sleep better, while boosting my overall mood.

“I thrive as part of a team – it’s something I’ve missed since leaving the army. Invictus will give me the spark I desire, as well as allow me to contribute my own personal attributes to the team.”

Ian will be competing in the 1500m race, but his real passion is for endurance and long-distance running. In April, he achieved his goal of running a sub three-hour marathon and thought that would be his highlight of 2017 – until he made the Invictus squad.