From serving Great Britain in Afghanistan, to competing for Great Britain in the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics.
That summarises the journey for Micky Yule, Stuart Robinson, and Jaco van Gass, three men who have suffered life-changing injuries while serving in Afghanistan over the past 12 years.
The trio have been supported by military veterans’ charity Help for Heroes on their rehab and are now set to add to the heartwarming legacy of Armed Forces members who have later become Paralympic athletes.
Scottish powerlifter Micky Yule, 42, was serving as a Royal Engineer Search Advisor in Afghanistan in 2010 when he stepped on an explosive device.
Yule lost both legs, shattered his pelvis and fractured an arm, and duly required 21 operations at the Selly Oak Hospital in Birmingham.
But now he's ready for Tokyo, and said his story showed how anyone can respond to adversity: “When you first get injured a lot of people think you’re ready for the scrapheap because you lost your legs in Afghanistan.
“But you can have the most horrible injuries and the biggest setbacks in life, whatever it is.
“And as long as you can put them away and deal with it and use sport – or use whatever motivates you – then you can achieve the biggest of dreams.”
Robinson, 39, had both his legs amputated after being involved in an explosion while serving in the Royal Air Force in Afghanistan eight years ago.
He sustained 36 separate injuries, including rib, sternum, collarbone and spinal fractures and spent two months in hospital, which included six weeks in an induced coma.
But now the Morecambe man he will form part of the ParalympicsGB wheelchair rugby team in Japan.
Track and road cyclist van Gass, 35, will be competing in five events.
A former member of the Parachute Regiment, he was serving in his second six-month tour of Afghanistan in 2009 when the helicopter he was flying in came under heavy enemy fire.
During the attack, Gass was hit by a rocket propelled grenade, sustaining devastating injuries and losing his left arm.
Help for Heroes CEO Melanie Walters said such stories sent a powerful message.
“With Afghanistan in the news again, the competitors who once served in HM Armed Forces are demonstrating great strength as they concentrate on their individual performances.
"Their superb capabilities send a powerful message out to other veterans and anybody with a disability who may happen to face barriers to engaging in sport. Barriers which are both visible and hidden."
