Endurance Beyond Combat : Dave Watson’s Invictus Journey

Join us for another powerful episode of the Moving Mission Podcast where we sit down with Dave Watson, an Invictus Games multi-medal winner and former soldier. 

Dave shares his journey from a life-changing injury on the battlefield to finding his resurgence through sports. 

Hear how he turned pain into purpose, competing internationally and breaking records.

Dave's story isn't just about survival; it's about thriving against all odds. Get ready for raw, real talk on overcoming adversity and the healing power of sports.

Remember to give us a follow, and let us know your feedback!

Transcript

Unknown: 0:00

Stop turned off stepped on it hurt the click the bank. It threw me 15 foot in the air, and the weapons hit me in the face. You could say between 1900 mile an hour all my own my wife, my wife. My wife flashed before my eyes and I seen it. I seen it happen. Hello and welcome to the moving mission podcast with me and Marie Martin from daily dance me Jack wills the one that dancer Join us as we discussed the importance of moving impact inclusion and benefits for both physical and mental health welcome to today's episode of the moon mission podcast today we have a very special guest is none other than Invictus Games Moulton, medal winning athlete, Dave, what's up guys? Good. Yeah. Oh, good. Great to have you on. Really excited. So myself and Jack have obviously met you. I've even done a Tiktok dance with you. But it's so exciting, because I've never really sat down with you and got to know your story and exactly how inspiring it is. So we would love for us and all the listeners to hear about your amazing journey, please. Yes, that's not a problem at all. That's why I'm here. So let's go for it. So tell us, what was your background? So when we're talking about physical activity, what were you like as a child and growing up going into the career you went into? Have you always been physically active? Always? Yeah, well, I've always been physically active. When I were younger, I used to play football. I used to kickbox. But I

Dave Watson: 1:46

went out when I left school, I do a good job what kept me physically active, which were a brick layer. So I will carry in brick swap, I always went down that road where it were inactive thing they always used to do. And and I'm not one of them, what can sit down and not one of them. What can sit behind a desk nantel Five and just go on computers all the time. And he ended the activity, and up and down a ladder or doing whatever. So yeah, everything I did, were always active. And then I left school did the Brick Lane. And then I joined the military, which was a lot more, more activity and more hours, like us do a lot more physical, more everything. But I got used to it. So what got you going into the military? Then what was that spark of? Oh, because I mean, there's talk at the moment isn't there about, you know, national service again, and all of that. So what what was that spark that you thought, right? I mean, I've always I've always wanted to join ever since ever since I was a young lad.

Unknown: 2:52

Like my grandparents, they were in the military and like the brothers, they're in the military. My granddad was telling me stories in that. And then I used to see a lot of things on TV night Trooping the Colour and all the training videos for the military. And I thought that was good. I want I want to do it. But when I left school, I had to, I had to think about about it really, because if I didn't join the military straight from school and didn't like it, or come out of the military, I'd have had nothing to fall back on. So I did my build. I did my building trades. Become a qualified become a qualified builder. So then, after I did that, I joined the military. And then if I didn't like it, I had something for backup. Yeah, smart, smart plan. So how old were you when you join the military then? I was 18 when I joined. I have a I have a 16 year old now and thinking of him joining the military in just two years time. Scary and quite mad. But I suppose as a family that your family has always been used to that because family's been in it. Yeah, like they taught they told me not to join. They didn't want me to join but I wanted I wanted to join as soon as I left school, but it would then what back taught me out of it and to get a trade and if I don't like it, so I did. But then I turned 18 And once you turn 18 You don't need your parents consentement you can just go you can sign on you can do it straight away. Right so yeah, I did my building trades. And then as soon as I turned 18 I literally well it were a bit of a funny story, actually, because we're all working in Preston on some on some houses. And I had a bit of an argument with the boss. The boss told me to do one. So I literally, I literally stopped stormed out and stormed away from work. And I went to the closest pub at a bit of Dutch courage at a pint. And then the Korean the careers office were just at the top of the street. So I had a bit of Dutch courage and then went into the careers office. And I went, I want to sign on to the military. And then when do you know what you want to join? I would not just want to join the military. So it gave me loads of booklets, DVDs, everything like that. And told me to go away look at and read on watch him for a walk from there to the train station. Waiting for a train and then I thought, What am I doing? I've just walked out my job. I have no job. I'm 18 years old. So I literally put everything down what back to the careers office. Got to the door. He opened the door knew I knew you'd be back. So that was that was the first day and I had just filled out some paperwork. I spoke to my granddad he's brother was in the scratchcards when he were my age when I joined. Right yeah. So I joined the Scots guards and kept it in the family. Wow. So what role was it that you actually had in the military? Yeah, so I was on the frontline. Our infantry but my regimen I had two jobs. So you have two infantry infantry frontline work. They were best they were best in Catterick and you had the guys what do the ceremonial duty what are what are in London and once you've passed that a train and you got to train you do six months there you pass out and get put to where you want to be. So I got to London styling ceremonial duty, I call it a to a tourist attraction. So I will one of the guys in a red jacket and the big black Bearskin hats. outside Buckingham Palace, St. James's Palace tower, London, Windsor Castle. I've done them all.

Anne-Marie Martin: 7:14

So then, if we fast forward onto going on to the front line, where did you do quite a few tours? Or was it one one place that you know I did? I did want to wear? That was 2010 over in Afghanistan. Now funny story. I've been to Afghanistan. So as a dancer, I did. So there was CSC Corporate Services entertainment. So as a dancer, we would go out with comedians. Our tour was with Paul Tomkinson and we would go out and you know put on a show and all of that for the troops. So we actually flew out commercially to Cabo and and then stayed on on the military base there actually for eight days we flew RAF up to or if so long ago up to northern part up there as well and and we actually flew down to the Americans as well doing doing shows but yet so and it was amazing Are you basically trying to compete you

Unknown: 8:27

never knew where your tour was so when you said Afghanistan I was just amazed well yeah similar story that's quite yes no, but I did we have a funny story like I've been there as well. Oh, thanks for that. I just thought it was funny that I've been to the same place and all your limbs are so funny, it's a funny story that you went to the same place as me and come back we all humans I was trying to be relatable then I came to the country because many people have been there. It's true. So yeah, right. Going back to you. Yeah, so yeah, I went over Afghanistan in 2010. And it was it took longer than expected because like we've all the military it's always that Korea somewhere so they rush you to do stuff. You get it done, but you've like you've got away at them for something else to happen. Right. So we got all together we got given five different roles when we're going out to Afghan but like, they all got cancelled. Apart from one, so we're doing all the training and everything and then you do the train and then it gets cancelled. But luckily enough, we got high roll, we went out there. And I ain't gonna lie. The worst bit about it with the leave they give you beforehand. Can you got you go back home to see your friends and your family and that luck. And it's that last day you've got there and like, you go in back and you're nowhere you go in and there's possibilities you couldn't come back. So it's that exact moment. Do you say goodbye or DSSC letter that's did that worst mentally part of the training that give you how do you cope with that it? I'm not gonna lie, how hard it was really hard. I got to the train station. And I said, I never said I never once told anyone goodbye. I said, See you later. I got onto the train. And as soon as I sat on the train that's in my friends in that sat right outside stood outside with me off. I literally, like broke down. You know what I mean? Like, look at me and like, I've got a big bald head and loads of tattoos. and I were there crying. My eyes are on a train. It's a big, big deal. Yeah, it's just a little pressure. And it is it. I can't I can't tell you like how it felt it just it would just it just happened just like that. You know? I mean, sat on a train. Crane years out, right? And all the force was going through your head going? I wonder if I'll come back. It's just wait, it's just one of them. But you're here you did come back. Yes. And they come back? Maybe half half the man a half the man I used to be but I'm back there. Yeah. So So tell us more of the story then sort of fast forwarded into kind of more than that tool when obviously kind of Yeah, how much can you tell where you are now? Yeah, like the two are the two are going absolutely brilliant. We've got out there you've got you've got to spend two weeks in in combat idiom to do like get used to all the web through and do some training and get used to the place and that and tell you the truth. I didn't really want to leave combustion because right the Americans their food were absolutely banging you know, I mean, every night they had ribs and burgers and chicken wings and everything. Shops and everything. I'm relating again. Shops and everything. There is a good face. Yeah, I did you did you do that? You do that on your tour as well? Did you? We didn't get we didn't get two weeks to acclimatised to it No, no, I think we spent a day there Yeah, it's very cool. Yeah, we got we got two weeks and it's like you Mendel dim we all the other countries that are out there so the Americans the Swiss everything like all of them and you can go into each of his camps and you can go for food and everything so all the British use over to the Americans first of all the Mac the bangin food they used to have and we got a lot got a lot of rubbish but we used to we all used to meet up as well and we all used to meet up and play play poker in that get flat to keep the match going. So we had like a we're like a worldwide competition met because it were all like all different nationalities with playing poker. And it were brilliant out there. So you didn't really go like food were good. You get your black Pizza Pizza or in their McDonald's and stuff at KFC and that. So it raw, right, the food, the food records, and then we got moved out closer into Afghanistan where we're got to our VCP which is our vehicle checkpoint. So we got we stay in there. And one of our jobs is to just stand outside with one of the Afghan National Army or the Afghan National Police. And you do random vehicle checks. So you do vendor vehicle checks, checks the vehicles and fingerprint the guys what are driving it just that because we've got we've got a device where if you take the fingerprint Put it in, put it into liquid if it changes to a certain colour, they've been messing around with, like, detonators and bombs and so we we had that power just to pull the vehicle over, check it do whatever we wanted to do. Yes, we went out on foot patrol as well. We got on really well with the locals. The kids out there. were brilliant. Yeah. And it got to weld all the way through. We got into firefights every day. I think the longest firefight were about 17 hours. 18 hours. Shoot, yeah, fight. Yeah. You could see every now he wants, just listen to the podcast. She is trying to mimic holding a gun. Dave told us that's not how you hold firefighters in firing shots. But I wanted to make sure it wasn't Jack. I didn't I didn't want to say anything. Man. I didn't want to say anything. I just for a moment. I am really shining on this episode. I bet you didn't do very well on your tour in Afghan Woodfield and I was out in my blue bulletproof vest on went round the schools and the hospitals. We even went to the zoo. I could hold my own. Absolutely not. But yeah, like it was really, really an outlet because like you get to VCP. And that like that's your home then for like seven months. Right? So you do what you can to it to make it feel homely. So when we got there, it would just free isopentane there's like a 10 a 10. We're already set up. So we were stopping. We were sleeping in the ISIL containers. Like we were we were constantly working all the time. There were no, there were no time to chill, because out there, you don't know what's going to happen. Right? So you're always You're always like, what is what's going to happen next? When's it gonna happen? And you've always got it in the back of your mind. So literally, you could sit down. And you could be sat down for about 30 seconds and someone else would go on and then you can do whatever. How long are you out? Working? And then how long did you get to chill? So I've been out there for three and a half months. So I did after my tour. So the 27th of May 2010. We went out on a foot patrol. There was 53 of us. We went out on a farm patrol because we we heard that the Taliban was moving in. So the location. So we got ready. We went out on a fight in patrol to push the the Taliban back to get them out of the village to stop doing what they were doing. And I don't know why. But that day, it felt something something were going to happen. I knew something were going to happen. And I had it in my mind. Just nobody just got an inkling where it just doesn't feel right. It doesn't feel right. Something's something's going to happen. So we went out about three o'clock at morning went out on the foot patrol, and every flight it rolled out first earlier was in the morning. You're not gonna see no one but getting into like eight, nine o'clock. You seen nobody? Not none of the locals were coming out their hours. No kids were out playing. And we fought right. Something's going on here. And we will talk. It's like it's like a back alley. It's like a back alley and we're walking up where these locals were looking over the wall. And they've never done that. They never did that for three and a half months while I've been out there. They were looking over the wall not coming out. And they were like, No, we got to the top of the alleyway and a week before one of our masters got blown up. And all what were left of it with a wheel. And we could have moved that wheel we couldn't touch it because the move did changed it into an ad so they made it into an ad so if you move there just go back. So we left it where we carried on patrolling and our Our interpreter on the PRR listening to the Taliban. And there was the that was surrounded. They've got us surrounded, there's nowhere we could go. They were watching us. And we were just pushing up. And we got to a stream, we got into the stream. And you got to remember i There were 53 of us I will the 50s guy 53 We got into the stream to my right hand side, there was an ad on the edge of the water. And on the banking. I've passed it put my man behind me slipped. And as he slipped being out there, there's you haven't got time to think you've had something happen and you do it. So he slipped, I turned to help him. And it's I've turned I've stepped on it to click the bank. It threw me 15 foot in the air. But I was I was the LMG going to I would carry around a big machine gun. And that the way I had all of it, the pressure was coming from the bottom to the top is hit the weapon. And my arm and the weapons hit me in the face that you could say between 1900 mile an hour. Brought my jaw brought my jaw smashed most multifile Freeman 15 foot in the air, and I fell backwards into the stream. And as I fell backwards, all the waters come over the top of me and how was our day in our drowning? And it was all my all my wife, my wife. My wife flashed before my eyes and I seen it. I've seen it happen. And then when that had happened, I will really happen to hold my lashes. Yeah, it flashed before my eyes and then once I'd done I was just I was saying that why? Know that? Know that? Why? Yeah, I see. I see no light and as I as I'd seen it, I got dragged out the water. But dragged out the water sat on the edge. And the guys turned around to me like dev dollar down. Yeah. Well, I'm like spitting TIF out my lips and boss and everything I'm trying to speak. No, I don't look down. And I'm like, oh, but maybe me I needed to see what had happened. Because I needed see what happened because I will try my best to get well before I got pulled out the water. I was trying my best to get my head above the water and I couldn't do it. Yeah, I don't know, I didn't know why I couldn't get my head above water. So I've looked down and everything a gun apart from machine bonds. So if you picture one of that, know that and pray madnesses we've got them and things so if I move my legs, it would just my shin bones are moving. And they would they would show that they were shoving the tourniquet on my legs to stop the bleeding. So I had free tonic cares on one leg and free toe and cares on the other. And while they were doing that, I felt pins and needles in my arm. And I've looked at my arm I've lifted my arm up and my arm would just dangling. So the bones have been snapped but it just being held on by his tendons in muscle on that and if you like the Ben de golf as well so or what would what would dangling here was my hand and just born what were dangling next to it. Well my skin from my hand. And I just I just looked at it. And I went yeah, like I've lost you give it give them yourself a high five watch the wobble and then just like flip a flip my art like because I will let down a flip me I'm on my chest. And the arm just went like jelly. It were and I seen all that with my own 200 You know I mean? Yeah. So what's what is going through your head at this stage? Like, what are you thinking? desmi done or youth what you like right now, I mean how you were awake. I was conscious of it all and I didn't have I didn't have any I didn't have any morphine. So we're in any pain. There were no pain. There's all the nerves It just didn't shock. Well, it's not it's not that it's, it's all like, it's like, all your adrenaline going through your body. We're all that adrenaline comes out. You don't feel no pain you're probably looking at and going actually, you probably can't even process it, I'm assuming really? Yeah. Like, as soon as in everything, but I couldn't process it. Yeah. It would just it will. It will like ship. I mean, what what? What then happens after that, like, what what could you do in life? Yeah, yeah. So like the medics all the all the guys really not I mean, they're all medic trend. But you've got one min medic, but we we do like a course for if anything does happen, you can do it. You can patch them up and do whatever you can to get ready to get onto the flight and go back. So as soon as this happened to me, all the guys jumped on me tonic is on. Tonic is on my arm. Put me on a stretcher, the flat the mat turned up and put me on the back of the mitt. When I was when I was flying. I flew from there to Camp Bastion. They put me asleep they put me asleep on the mat. So they could check everything and do stuff on there while he got to combustion. Got there got off them there. And the air the big the big plane. Yeah. So it's like it's like a it's like a hospital on a plane. So you walk you walk into you walk into hospital and walk into like an emergency room and stuff like that. It's exactly the same. It's exactly the same everything on that flight. They've got enough skills. So they do what they can on their mind. Sorry, don't say fly in and knowing that the Taliban is still surrounding you. That's the last thing on their mind. They fly in land and get you on there. Yeah, wow. So when something happens, you'll have you'll have a back with me, you'll have what? Forgot, you'll have four guys on me. And then all the rest of them will do like an all round defence. So they'll be looking out they'll be looking out for the Taliban in that making sure it's safe for them to land. So they put me on the back of their flew me to come back then they put me to sleep on the fly, or walk at Camp Bastion as they were taking me off and asked I asked if I could have a cigarette before I went in. I asked I asked if I could have a cigarette before I went in. Like I said you might imagine my last ever one I want but they wouldn't let me have one. They just took me in. But in in income Bastion, what they'll do is they will patch you up as quick as they can. Even like the brilliant out there. You know, I mean, they've got all the equipment, but they'll patch you up as quick as they can get you on a flight and get you straight back to Birmingham, where you can get properly looked after. So it happened to me 11 o'clock on the 27th for me. I was back in Birmingham. About two o'clock in the morning on the 28th It's amazing. Good turn around. There's no messing about there's no messing about but on the flight back to Birmingham. I died three times 37,000 feet so I died three times a comeback. And from there. I was in hospital. Right? Well, I'll give you I'll give you a test now. I've just been blown. I've just been blown up. I've just I've just lost three limbs. Right. How long do you think I was in hospital for before I got discharged? It's probably it's probably going to be a lot shorter than then you think you were in for like two days or something? I probably are reckon a week. Well, not a week guys. That's just like, I'm not Superman. No, I mean. No, but obviously, this isn't me trying to figure out Amarin compare my story. But I from my amputation to coming out of hospital was three days but I know obviously mine wasn't like a trauma. Yeah, see you because we just went over ways not gonna know if it's gonna be months, but I thought it was a matter of weeks maybe I was I was in hospital for three weeks. I was sore from going into hospital three weeks after I would discharge. Then when I went home for two weeks, and then we get sent to a place called Headley court where all the military do all the rehab and learn to walk again and all the fitness and that I went there. And even going there, it's a shock. Because maybe in the military, you still don't realise how many people get injured. So in newspapers in that they'll tell you all about deaths and everything like that. But they won't tell you how many people get injured. Yeah, so what do you what it used to be like 2010 1112. For, for every, for every one soldier getting killed? There was for getting injured. Right. Right. So I went to have the Corps and it were shocked to see how many people were like, literally, they're doing rehab and learn to walk again. But it was what can I say? There were that many people they overwhelming. That's it, they were overwhelmed. And you literally use it, they're like that I let you stay there until you can like walk out. No. So when when, when you when you first go, you've got to be there for six weeks straight. So you can get like your fitness back and start because when you get there, they've got to start testing you for sockets and fittings and everything like that. So you've got to be there for six weeks straight. And then after that six weeks, you can go home at weekends. So you there or we go on the weekends. But how well how well a certain person was doing. So I could go there for like four, you'll go there for four weeks. And you'll go on weekends. But when that four weeks is finished, depending on well how well you're doing. You have a comeback the week after? Or what you can have anything from a week to two months, three months. And then go back and then do you do your four weeks and then have like six months off? You know, I mean, it's just, it would just just work like that. But I was learning. When you've you've you're in Birmingham, you've woke up after all the surgery. What is going through your head? Do you think I'm military? I know I'm going to get through this. I know I'm going to get my prosthetics I know I'm going to carry on or do you have moments of what am I going to do now? What was your mindset when you when I woke up in hospital in intensive care? I woke up fine. Because like a four hour I felt like I thought I was still out there you know what I mean? Yeah, I knew exactly what happened. I knew everything about what had happened like my injury, my flight back everything. But because I've been put to sleep I woke up fighting. Like I want my weapon I want this I want that and I will be like proper going for it. It took nine nurses to pin me down to stop right to calm me down and stop me fine. And they couldn't do it. So they put me back asleep. And then one nurse, one nurse were on a night shift and she woke me up and she calmed me down herself. But it will just start it will just start waking up do not I mean like I've just been in a different country. You know, I mean in a war zone. You're gonna wake up and you're going to start like, tightening that. So once it kind of came what had happened and that you've probably thinking but life is going to be different now. How did that kind of then make you feel? Well, I fought I fought I was alright. You know, I mean, I felt like I took it really well. I know exactly what's happened my life is gonna be this. It's just finding them new ways to do things. Yeah, But going down the line, I was struggling. I couldn't see. But other people could have turned to the drink. And I turned to the drugs. And that was my life for two and a half years. But I did. I got to the point where I didn't want to do anything I wanted. I didn't want to be. Right, yeah. So that client came out of hospital woke up and thought, right, I can do this. I just need to do things differently. And then it was almost like a slow. Yeah, that's where we're at. Yeah, I come out of hospital like, well, the world's my oyster, you know, I mean, I can do anything I want to. But when I, when I come around to it, it would it were getting, it felt like it was getting harder and harder. And you were a big weight on my shoulders. And so that turned to drink. I turned to the groups. I didn't want to be. Because, like, I didn't want people looking at me different than what I was. I didn't want to treat me different than I was. But yeah, I tried. I tried. I tried to remain myself in a few times. But I got to the point where I just couldn't Yeah, I mean, but I just carried on doing the drinks and the drugs in that. But then I went out to I got invited to do a trip with some more injured soldiers to go out to Oklahoma in America to do some sports with the Americans. So I thought, yeah, I'll go out. I'll give it a go. So we went out there. And I tried the discus and shot pool. But there are about there are about 10 of us what we're doing all these all these guys are throwing the discus throw in the shot poor and no one yet. That's it. Thanks. Thanks for coming. I go. And I think it will my third floor. I did all right at the shotput did well tilt that arrow. I'm a big lad. Anyway, so I've got the power. But like the discus, I think a fruity on the third floor. And they went they just look to each other. All the all the guys that you looked at that we need to get the tips out, we need to measure this. And I'm like I said, Why are you doing that to mine? But you didn't do it to anyone else's? What's what's different about mine. So we've got little long tips out there, measured it. And I broke the American record for my category if I were a full time athlete, not not no training, no nothing. Our dog everyone, I'm an alcoholic and a drug user. And I've just done that. No training in it either. At all. But their turn around. They said Do you know what you've just done? I went yeah, from a discus. And they know you've just brought the American record for your category if you're a qualified athlete. I've never I've never thrown a discus. Well, I did I did in school. I mean, last time I threw a desk or sorry, in school. And never for a month since and I've just done that. I've just done like, I've just done like a year and a half. Well, what I've just done two and a half well, just short a two and a half years drinking and drugs. I've just done that. And from that day, I got back in my wheelchair and I went and said no drink no drugs. That's it. That's me Don't quit a comeback. Because how did you feel? Yeah. So with that, with that, what went? If I can do this? doing what I'm doing now? What can I do if I pack it all in? Yeah, where can I get to then? So I actually try and actually put everything into it. So I did do a comeback. I got in touch with a coach a start up coach started training started doing like little competitions around the country. travelling the country just doing little competitions. Yeah, don't get me wrong. The competitions are good for your training. The metals are not really you know, I mean like you get you'll get a gold medal but it's one of them gold medals you get from like a sports shop. Yeah, right. Oh it's just so it's just like it's just like, like there's no like you give to like under seven football teams. You ain't buy in that on a phone I just like the I just thought I won't quite I won't quite a lot of them but nothing to brag about you know I mean yeah I'm just wondering I'm just happens football medal I carried on because during them competition if you get you get it's like a a league table you know, I mean, the distances get higher and higher. So I became, I was ranked number one in the UK in Britain discus and ranked ranked number number one for shotput in my category and I was ranked I was ranked third. I was ranked third in Britain for Javelin as well so, so I did like was discussing shotput and my main ones but I always used to have a bit of a dabbling in Javelin as well, you know, I mean, I'm not saying that you're strapped into like a seat when you do this. Yeah, so and it's like, it's like, I wouldn't say it's a seat. It's like a metal. It's like a metal is a seat. It's like a metal box we went to you know what I mean? It's like a squirt the square bit. We have a couple of legs in there. And that's anchored to the floor and you're strapped to the sea. So it's all like technique and upper body so I started doing that which arm is that? You You've you which arm is it that you use? I don't know whether we well my left arm so my webform so that's what I didn't know it was trying to clarify what what were you had always left handed? Yes or no our right handed. That's what I'm trying to get at that. Football and I don't have a left foot anymore. Right? Yeah. It's just even more amazing. Breaking all these records with your non dominant arm. Yeah. I'm never never used never used my like, my left arm for anything. Because I couldn't see it. I just couldn't do it. Yeah, but when I will do it, it will just just felt it just felt natural you know I mean now but it was maybe a bowl I suppose that you hadn't really done to any sort of level so I suppose it's kind of a new thing maybe it were a new thing and then yeah, and then the tread the tread and and that will make it stronger. So yeah. It will work in Oklahoma and just have some of that but if you fit Yeah, out in Oklahoma, no technique overweight power totally were but then with your less mad. So then how did the Invictus Games come about? How does that obviously, the Invictus Games is do you kind of get approached prior to going in? How does that work? You can apply for the Invictus Games. So I applied for the very first one. What was in London? Well, I told my I said to my coach, I said I want to apply for I want to apply for London for Invictus Games. She went no, no, we're not doing that. We've got bigger fish to fry. It's not it's not it's because it's a chat at the time the Invictus Games had just died. Nobody knew how big it was going to be. Nobody knew if it was going to be like a wham bam, thank you, man. You know, I mean, so it's, you know, we've got bigger fish to fry this is that it's not going to work for you. Yeah. I said okay. So I left it left a couple of years and I'm sure they have the Invictus is getting bigger and bigger Sackett Paralympics now we'll go for it. Yeah. We'll go we'll go for it. You can buy into this. So she said to me that but she didn't realise Buffett will do it or trend that trend by all year round to do the Invictus I applied for it went for the trials didn't get selected so far out Fair enough. So I we applied for the year after I started training again, trained all year round. Got to the selection point when it's To get him picked I didn't get I didn't get selected. And I literally I literally broke down in tears because I've worked you work it was getting selected over Yeah, I don't I don't know but the like, they don't what they were on at the time they weren't based on like you froze they were betting on how much you needed it to carry on with no lack of rehab type thing they were basing it on, not not not about the metals but then the bigger it will get in. The bigger it will getting that's when we started focusing on. Well, we need to be doing this right so I broke down I broke down in tears on my SETI at home. I said I can't do it. I can't do this anymore. I've put blood sweat and tears into training. I've got where I am. I'm just like not getting slept. I don't know what I'm doing wrong. And I'm like that's it I'm done. But then the whole that all that had finished or had finished Becky logged on to my emails without me knowing sent an email about this Krista trials were coming back for Canada, the Invictus Games in Canada. So she logged on and she sent an email replying for my interest in doing the Invictus candidate I never knew anything about it didn't know. And then I got an email through saying like you can check you can come to selection camps you can come to this you can come to that. So I did start a trip back and we had a bit of an arguments house I don't want to do it anymore. I told you to at night have applied for it. I know you can do it. So I went for it started training again went to the trials. And literally we was in the car on the model where I would drive it Becky's checking my emails because it was the time where the team were getting selected. And like she's she's like refreshing the emails all the time. And then she turned around and went David's come through our shop Yeah, it hasn't it doesn't turn out it's come through it and they're driving. And she's read it read it. She's opened it she'd read it and she went you've been selected Yeah, but she turned around to it You've been selected you go into Canada. I will I think I forgot I forgot I was driving the car Swain all over the place. And I thought really, like just been selected and nearly killed. But yeah, I got selected for candidate went out to candidate just doing discus and shot book. And my aim while was out there, because of all the hard work I put in. My aim was just to come back with a medal. I don't care what colour it with, just to come back with a medal shotput were first and I come away with a bronze medal from shotput. Got on the podium. He put the medal around my neck. I started crying because I've got my call. Do you know I mean, I've reached my goal what I wanted to do. And that meant the world to me bronze medal. I've put all the work in that what I've been battling the next day was discus and I thought that was cool. For me discuss at the end of it. I become the Invictus champion at Memorial we are gold. Amazing. What they put they put the gold medal around my neck. And it didn't mean as much to me as that bronze medal did if you know what I mean. I had set myself just because yeah, I set myself I'd set myself just to come back with a medicine. Right and I got the bronze without done it. So the gold medal didn't we didn't really like they were like, Oh yeah, just go with me. You would have gone that was me, then that would mean that I'd finished. I'd finished my sports. I were going around supporting everyone else. But I was bullying rounds, watching other people going well. I can do that. Or I could do that or I could do that. And then the Invictus Invictus come up for Sydney, in Australia and I thought How to apply for it see what happens. So how often is it? Yeah, used to be every year and then it reveal for you. So so that was what year was the kind of the one that you won the middle was Canada was 2017. And I applied for Sydney for Australia for 2018 Our like, see what happened you but I'm going to push myself. I'm going to pick a number sport. Okay to see to push myself so I did the discus and shot pot. And I picked the indoor rowing, the four minute and the one minute endurance. So I've been doing row ID for about four months, something like that. Not even that went out to Australia, the rowing, the rowing were first so it was the it was a full minute endurance first done that come away with a silver medal and then went through a break a couple of hours later it with a one minute endurance. Wow. Did that come away with another silver for the row in and then and then I had a couple a couple of days free. So I chilled out. I chilled out for one of the days and then the second day I will just train in doing my desk was in sharp pop the competition the next day. So the discus were first. So the goal the goal for Australia was to remain the Invictus champion for discus discuss. And not bronze medal to a different colour for sharpell that were my goals. Yeah, I've won the two silvers on the indoor row and I didn't think that'd be added do nothing. We have ones because I didn't think I'd do anything. So I've been doing it for four months. So I didn't set myself a goal we are just to complete it. You know, I mean, the discus combo. I'm lost. I'm lost to fro. So I'm watching. I'm watching everybody else. And they were throwing and I'm like a beat you and I just watched him I'm not I knew I could beat him because like they read out the distances. And I was like yeah, and beat you have beat you have bu for I mean we're good chance here. But one of the guys was throwing a will throw in 20 What were you what were what refurbished throw 21 Some 21 metres Summit is throw away. And he like he used to wind me up. Right. And I knew and by light used to one meal to look like something chronic and are like, I'm gonna get you back here. Yeah. So it was my turn to throw what had been your longest what had been your longest throw so when you throw in 21 run longer I will I will throw in 29 and a half metres but I bet we've been winding me up all the time. I thought I'm just gonna get me on back here. So I started throwing and come a fit like you get six for us. Right? Yes, six fours for my first free Fraus or my first four for us. I was froing between 19 and 20 metres but I was doing that on purpose. I was doing that to wind it like Nick him. So I will throw in like 1920 metres, something like that just for him. So I get a smug grin on his face and going oh, I've won this. It got to my fifth floor and our four. I'm just gonna wind him up again enough after he did 21 summit. I flew 21 metres and my fifth throw. Right so he's Bates is B is beating me. And he's like I sent him send him in the corner Miyagi it we're ready to start cheering yeah, I've sat there and I've what I've got I've got focused I've put that all behind me what I've just like play it like I've just messed around me and I thought that's it I'll put up the SAT the focus and a fruit and are through to a lot of fruit 20 over 29 metres. And as soon as soon as Soon as I went proper down in the dumps right? It come up to me afterwards before we went like before we went to the podium that you can watch tonight where did you pull that on from? I didn't pull it from nowhere. I said them froze I did before I will just playing around me I said I know I can throw that. I said, I said I've taught you a lesson now we want in people. I said I just want you I said, I know I can throw what I've just throw. I said then 1920 metres I'll just play me and that's when you want to just fall out my lap for our 320 nanometers so so I remain I remained the Invictus champion for for discus combat, I've got my gold medal. And then at the nighttime another goal it was shut up. Hope against the same propaganda same blaster throw again. I will watch him I will throw in. I will throw in my first rule we have four kilogramme sharp was about just over eight metres none of them work none of them were going nowhere near that. Like the guys are from before me. He like the guy who throwing the discus who wound up he was in the shotput as well. But he won't mind him anymore. It'll be nice to me. So it will it will like it it were it was a proper back competition. I mean, no messing about no one and people everyone had for all our up to for all our through it will must get a second to last deal my second to last floor are through my shop. And it was about a beat like I know I beat it. But I beat my own record is gone over eight and a half metres. I knew it. Okay. But the judges, the judges were watching we're London. So they've put the pin in the wrong place. And I've called for I've called for for him to look at it and check it out and everything. And they were saying they calm. So I had I had one for all left to be over seven and a half metres. Try I've got one thrown because the judges weren't having a look at me last year or anything. I thought oh, here we go. I'm gonna lose this now. But I've literally got myself focused. I've just got myself in the zone. And I've just launched it by just put everything I had into it. And when's it when eight metres Summit. So I upped my bronze medal to a gold medal and became the Invictus champion for for Charcot so are over the moon with that carried on by we celebrated over in Australia when we're out there, did everything come back, and I push myself a bit more. And I put my name down and I applied for the British rowing Indoor Championships. Because Because, because of what I've just done in Australia, I applied for the British on Indoor Championships. Wow. Went down to London, did it with a four minute and a one minute endurance. I got there as set to new records for my Calgary and come away with two gold medals as well. So I did all I did online a few weeks. So how many how many medals do you have to your name? I count in the the under sevens football team medals as Invictus Games. So I've got five, five golds, two silvers and a bronze. That's amazing. Amazing. So are you still doing these sports and competing now or at the moment at the moment? No, I am getting I am getting back into it. Like COVID in that messed everything up February. Right. All competitions were cancelled. There were no training anything that they will. So you did you didn't have that pre COVID You didn't like oh we athletes and that they didn't have that focus, you know what I mean? For someone to look forward to or to work for. So I'm getting back into it. Now I am going to be frozen again. So just watch, just watch this space. So to try and tie it all in What? Obviously, it was that moment where you realised in Oklahoma? Wow, I'm actually really good at this. But mentally, do you think this is really? I mean, obviously that moment got you out of that, that dark place with a drink in the drunk. But do you think it's your military training? Do you think because you were physically active as a child? What was that driving force that kept you on? That? Mindset, the drag the driving force was having having that military inside me where I can just go right that say, I'm doing that. And I'll do it. Yeah. And the fact that the sport was helping me stay away from the drink and drugs because our training all the time, and I weren't doing what we're doing. So it will, but it will both it will pull off your military background, and sport because anything sport wise, is fantastic for your mental health. It just gets you it gets you thinking about other things. And it it does work so well. You can feel the change happening you can feel you don't you were feeling better many 100% 100% And it's like I do a lot of I do a lot of fishing as well. I do a lot of fishing and that that even out you know, I mean? Because like guys don't like sport or anything like that. But they want to do something else. Like fishing. You can go sit in a bank and do some fishing. But there are a lot of people say oh, it's boring you thinking that? A lot of things go around your head when you fish No, it No they don't. Because you're constantly thinking about why not? Why I'm not catching a fish on this? Why is it not working? I'll try and use so you're you're constantly thinking about what equipment you're going to be using for fishing and how you're going to catch your fish. So it's brilliant. Brilliant focus. Yeah, sport. Yeah, we're looking back at the discus in the shop and stuff like that. If if, like anyone's listening, that obviously would want to get into kind of, you know, after hearing about your gun or record, you know, I've got quite good upper body, I wouldn't mind giving it a go like, is there a place where they can go and like, look for like, how did you get a coach and all that sort of stuff? Like, Where would people go if they wanted to try and get into it as well. What you want to do is, if you want to give it a go, go to your local sports centre, and all that one of these sports happens well, I've got a running track long jump, disperse all that up. Go to one go to one of their every, every, every one of them, I've got a club, join the club, you'll get given you'll get a coach, they'll train you and you'll just you'll travel the country doing discs and shotput so every every sports facility has clubs for different sports. I got I will look at our lucky enough. I were lucky enough to know a Paralympic coach. So she she were my coach. She seen things in me what other people couldn't saw she knew how good our so she weren't letting me go to anyone else. She wanted me herself. You know, I mean, so she had such an amazing inspirational story. I mean, I chose in tears, the lot, but and obviously there's the competing level and that's there. But even just we all talk about moving and how it is so good for our mental health. But even taken away from the competing, just even if you're sitting listening to this now thinking oh, but you know, I don't have the ability to go on and compete. It doesn't matter. Just see. Just get into it. Yeah. Wait for a hobby. Yeah, you don't. You don't have to compete. You feel like you can go to your local club. You can join you can join the Club. And you can just train and fro with a restroom, you don't have to compete. You don't have to go with him. You could like you can just join that club and go around anyone listening if they've been through something in their in a life, an amputation or some sort of trauma? Would you say just get out there and find some activity? Yeah. 100% Don't let it get to you just keep moving forward. Keep moving forward. Don't do what I did. Find some fun. What do you enjoy from work it amazing. This has been such a long start an amazing episode. We hope you've enjoyed Read listening right through to the end. You know I, our takeaways are just one a bit obviously no dive I've learned a lot more about. Yeah. I thank you so much for being on our podcast today. Everybody listening, make sure you hit that download. You subscribe. Listen to us again, plenty more episodes coming up Dave Watson, thank you so much for joining us. Thank you for inviting me. It's amazing. So lady, guys. Thanks for listening today. We hope you feel inspired to get moving. And don't forget to give us a follow here if you enjoyed today's episode and check us out on all other social media at the moon mission.