'Goosebumps' for Invictus Games captain Mark 'Dot' Perkins

Serviceman Mark "Dot" Perkins was seriously injured in Kenya 18 years ago when his vehicle rolled over after spinning out of control on oil. He survived but two of his colleagues died.

The accident brought to an end his career in the Army as a corporal with the Royal Signals.

After going through some struggles, he retrained to become a physiotherapist and one of his clients inspired him to take part in the Invictus Games - an international event created by Prince Harry, for wounded, injured or sick armed services personnel to take part in sports.

And this weekend, Mark, from Cardiff, will lead Team UK out at the 2018 Games in Sydney. Here is his story.

The Invictus Games is something you don't really want to be eligible to compete in but I got injured in 2000. I was on exercise in Kenya.

We had to travel across Kenya. It was a long 15-hour drive and just near the end our vehicle hit some oil and spun out of control. The vehicle rolled over and landed on three of us, and I was the only survivor.

It was hard enough dealing with my survival guilt but on top of that I had my hip replaced on numerous occasions and I've damaged all the nerve in my leg so I can't feel from my knee below.

I had to learn to walk again numerous times and I also had to think about a new career as I lost my Army career.

I retrained as a physiotherapist and I rehab injured soldiers - one of them was who I saw [taking part] in the 2016 Invictus Games.

It's come full circle for me that someone I've helped recover has helped inspire me to go on to further my recovery as well.

'Lost a part of me'

My life was very active and very fun and then it was all taken away overnight.

It was a real hard one to understand and to take on board really, which for me was the biggest loss. Then to remove myself from the military once my medical discharge came through, I lost all of my group of friends as well, not just my career.

I felt I'd lost part of me and I did turn to drink as an answer to overcoming the pain I was in and overcoming the social situation that I'd lost.

That's where my journey started off and then I concentrated on my new career.

To see a person that I had rehabed in the 2016 Invictus Games was a huge success and a heart-warming feeling that I'd succeeded in my job.

It was that light bulb moment that he caused me to think that I should be putting myself forward.

The Invictus Games is a very unique environment. Elite sport creates a hero by one result but to go to the Invictus Games, everyone is a hero.

We've all done something unique to get there and sadly something has gone a little bit awry.

To find out I got into the team was phenomenal. It's a massive thing for my memories, for my future and for my family. That's what Invictus is about. It's about me and my team representing the UK and having my family there to support.

To find out I've been elected to be captain, I had goosebumps from head to toe.

Whether we've got physical scars or the intangible burden of mental illness, they are our scars as well, but that's our medals. So we're going to be going to the opening ceremony with our Union Jacks [on our tops] and our medals shown proudly.

That's going to be huge, that's going to be quite emotional. Some people are going to be overwhelmed by it because we're not used to going out in front of crowds.

We're used to going out in front of colleagues, comrades and doing the job. Doing the job professionally and doing the job to the best of our ability.

Now we're going to be asked to do something outside our comfort zone and this is what's made it so exciting for everyone. We're enjoying being outside our comfort zones.

During the build-up to Invictus, especially last year, I had a real struggle with thinking about the two that didn't make it that day.

I messaged the ladies, the widows, that I was going for the captaincy and one of them came back with 'do it for yourself and for those who can't'. To read that was completely overwhelming.

The other one said 'tell the story, that's how our boys get remembered' and it's completely true.

When I read those messages you think 'that's the reason I'm doing this'.