Most seriously wounded soldier to survive Afghanistian war carries Olympic Torch

[BelleTheBeatnik]

Ben Parkinson

Speechless.

Why are you speechless?

I think it's great that someone who was prepared to die for his country comes back from the brink and has a goal like that to prepare for - I can't imagine how much hard work he has put in so that he could actually walk those 300m to represent his country again. Awesome.

When it came through here for the winter Olympics an overweight copper carried it. he looked like a giant snowball, but it was the singularly most exciting thing that had ever happened to him. Fair play.

Because he's an inspiration! Seeing that has made all my little worries seem very insignificant. Nice to see a true hero getting the support and admiration he deserves. :)

It must have been so hard. Is it local to you?

Lol at little worries - I've just come from a thread where the op is sad because her friend has chosen to have a private elcs and use an overnight nursery for the first three nights to recover from the surgery. All personal choice, but the op needs something a bit more substantial to fret over, I think.

I was once dragging my fat arse around the park, sweat dripping off me, going to vomit (not a pretty sight)... When along came a man (looked like a soldier), jogging towards me, gazelle like on one leg and a blade. He game me a cheezy grin and sped past. It gave me the kick up the bum I needed to get through my run.

I live in York now but grew up in Doncaster - it's lovely to see so many people turned up to cheer him on. :) And yes, I think some of us need to realise just how lucky we are!

It was also carried in Plymouth bt Mark Ormrod who lost both legs and an arm in Afghanistan.

Lol, front. I do a lot of behind the scenes stuff for a not for profit that provides mountain sport opportunities for adults and kids with disabilities. I met a woman the other day who has a spinal cord injury, and has spent the last ten years skydiving, playing wheelchair rugby (which is apparently also called murder ball..) and now she is learning to downhill ski with us. I'm exhausted just talking to her, and yes, it gives me a bit of much needed perspective. I live in a town chock full of Olympians and paralympians though, so flabby and lazy is my default setting!

I'm going to write to these dudes and invite them over, I think.

madwoman you might like to get in touch with these people: Battle Back Sport.

I think it is great, a true inspiration.

And it is wonderful because so many people agree he is exactly the type of person who should be chosen to carry the Olympic flame. Unlike that snobby idiot Dr Helen Wright who thinks everyone admires the Kardashian people. Actually, they don't. Many people look at this chap and find him an inspiration and cannot bear the Daily Mail sidebar types.

Thanks, Edith. I think they normally train in Germany, but we've been pondering inviting them here for a while. There is a local military facility that could host, so it wouldn't be impossible...

This thread might be the impetus I need to actually get on and do it.

Battle Back will arrange participation in just about any sport you can think of. I think they do fantastic work, and they are always on the look out for interesting possibilities.

You might like this article too, about their 2012 cycling across US challenge which is underway this month: 'Eight men, seven legs and 3051 miles'.

Fantastic . This is just the sort of person we should be seeing carrying our torch. True heroes, not bloody celebs.

Just brilliant.

Awesome, thanks Edith!

I was there and it was fab! A true hero and brought tears to my eyes. He really did do Doncaster proud!

Agree Katie, me too.