Chris Anslow

Despite achieving a gold medal in Archery at the Invictus UK Trials in Sheffield, Army veteran Christopher Anslow acknowledges that he is still at the beginning of his sports recovery and Invictus journey but he is enjoying the experience.

Chris, who was medically discharged due to injuries sustained to his lower back and neck, said: ”Just being around my peers and not having to explain myself and also not have to curtail my humour has been very liberating. It always helps not having to keep a guard up and to just relax around people who just 'get you'. It also helps me get out of my comfort zone and push me to interact with people which I normally avoid.” Due to the pandemic his training has moved from the gym to his home and he has acquired a good selection of equipment.

“Now no gym closures can stop me training - although my dog does his best to either get involved or stop me so we can play. I also now train with two sitting volleyball clubs and I am also training with the Men’s GB sitting volleyball team and I am on the player pathway with the aim of getting classified and being eligible to play at the 2024 Paris Paralympics.” He explained: “The last two years has been the worst kind of rollercoaster ride, like if your safety harness broke and you were just hanging on in there until it stops. I’ve suffered mentally with the isolation but luckily with help from a few close friends I sought help from Help for Heroes and had some time with a counsellor.

Christopher added: “My sporting milestones would be training with GB Sitting Volley Ball squad and I’ve also competed in all the British Rowing virtual indoor events and won in my category at them all. I took part in The Invictus rowing challenge, from Sydney to The Hague where I racked up the 3rd highest amount of metres at 1,240,041m!"