26 Feb Mock-Winter Paralympics for wounded veterans
Over 40 military veterans travelled to Wiltshire last week for the annual ‘Phoenix Winter Games’ hosted by military charity Help for Heroes.
The week kicked off with 15 Alaskan Malamutes pulling team members in a Sled Dog race. The participants rode down a 30m chute hoping to achieve the fastest time and bring their team to victory.
The Games, which are themed around the Winter Olympics and Paralympics, brought together service personnel and veterans from all across the UK.
The 5-days of grassroots level sports gives those involved the opportunity to be a part of a team again, something that is often missed when leaving the military.
Participants represented the Help for Heroes Recovery Centre they attend; Tedworth House in Tidworth, Chavasse VC House in Colchester, Phoenix House in Catterick and the Naval Service Recovery Centre in Plymouth.
Among the competitors was Andy Halfpenny from Colchester Recovery Centre. The 49 year old from Norwich, who served for 16 years in the military before sustaining his injury
