Aspiring archer from Whittingham will take part in Invictus Games

Aspiring Paralympic archer Kieran Wood will join wheelchair athlete and former RAF corporal Stuart Robinson, from Morecambe and RAF Sergeant Michelle Turner, from Burscough at the games in September.

Army veteran Kieran, who grew up in Whittingham and attended Oliverson’s Primary and Broughton High schools, suffered severe brain damage in a car crash while home on leave after a tour of duty in Iraq with the Duke of Lancaster regiment.

He spent seven months in hospital, before being transferred to the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre Headley Court.

At that stage, he couldn’t walk or sit up and could say only three words.

Since then, regular physio, speech therapy and daily gym sessions have enabled Kieran take up indoor rowing and archery and he has competed at both the previous Invictus Games.

Since the first one in 2014, his archery has improved immensely and he is currently training with Archery GB in the hope of being selected for the Paralympic team for Tokyo 2020.

“Being part of the Invictus Games has helped me focus and stay motivated to achieve my goals,” said Kieran.

“It has given me a great sense of being part of a team and I feel proud that I have achieved so much. It has helped me get to where I am today.”