Tom Folwell

Former Sapper Tom was blown up in June 2012 while on foot patrol in Helmand Province. It all happened in an instant. One minute he was walking, the next he was lying on the ground.

He was initially flown to Camp Bastion for life-saving surgery and then two days later was flown back to Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham. But they had to stop off in Cyprus as Tom developed a blood clot and they needed to stabilise him.

Tom says: “I lost both legs, my right above the knee and my left through the knee. The tops of all four of my fingers on my left hand were also blown off.”

Since injury, Tom has gone on to develop sleep apnoea which has had a profound impact on his wellbeing but it led to him taking a renewed interest in sport and in particular, for Wheelchair Rugby.

During the pandemic Tom took part in virtual training in his three competitive sports but he has enjoyed getting back to training face-to-face. 

“Competing in the Invictus Games will provide justification that my hard work can be rewarded, that I am still a member of the greater military family and provide me with a much-needed sense of achievement. The Games would provide my boy, who is now 8, an opportunity to experience his dad in an environment that he has never been a part of. One of brotherhood, camaraderie and excellence. This would give him a sense of pride and an opportunity to inspire his young mind. I am always looking to learn in order to better myself. The Invictus Games provides the perfect opportunity for me to continue on this road to success.”

During the Invictus Games, Tom and the team were filmed for the Netflix documentary 'Heart of Invictus'. You can watch the documentary here.