Invictus: Training helps service personnel 'thrive'

Becki York (left) and Katrina Brown (right) say their training has had a positive effect on their lives

A pair of former armed forces personnel say training for the Invictus Games has helped improve their quality of life.

Katrina Brown, from Gloucestershire, and Becki York, from Somerset, said it helped them with illness and injury.

The games bring sick and injured former and current armed forces personnel together for a week of sport.

The event is being hosted by German armed forces in Düsseldorf between 9-16 September this year and will feature athletes from around the world.

Ms Brown, a former combat medical technician who served in Afghanistan and Iraq, said training had given her confidence physically and mentally.

"It's the difference between surviving and thriving," she said.

The 40-year-old was taken ill after a military tour of Basra in 2004, and was subsequently diagnosed with Scleroderma - a rare auto-immune disease which hardens soft tissue and can cause fibrosis.

She says training for the games has helped improve her health: "I went from spending 20 hours a day sat down and not being able to enjoy anything because of pain."

At the Invictus Games in September, Ms Brown will be competing in table tennis, cycling and indoor rowing.

Ms York says being treated for her hip injury had a negative impact on her mental health

Ms York, 38, served in the Royal Marines Band Service for 15 years as a musician.

A distinguished pianist and clarinet player, she performed at various high-profile events during her career, including the marriage of the Prince and Princess of Wales and the 2012 Olympics in London.

She damaged her hip while in work and underwent years of rehab and multiple surgeries, which she says had a negative effect on her mental health and confidence.After watching her brother James compete in the Invictus Games, Ms York was inspired to sign up and improve her own physical condition.

"I was told I would struggle to have a child or walk properly again but having since achieved both, James has shown me it's okay to strive for more and continue working on my recovery journey," she said.

"I want my family to see me living a full life - rather than being reserved and hesitant about doing things."

Ms York will be competing in swimming, cycling, rowing and powerlifting.

She added: "Like my brother inspired me, if I can inspire one other person to go and do it, I'll have done my job."