Debbie O’Connell from Lincoln served as a gunner in the Royal Artillery. She was discharged in August 2017. 30-year-old Debbie knows that the Invictus Games will be key for morale and is looking forward to being part of a team again. “Since my injury I have felt dejected, ashamed, and had to leave the Army - as a Physical Training Instructor I was no longer being able to do the thing I knew, that not only provided me with a release from my everyday stresses but also made me feel good. The Games gives me the opportunity to do something I believe in, not just for myself but for the team, and proudly represent my country once again. Feeling empowered to turn things around is a big factor too. I now have the drive and determination to pick myself up focus and train again for a good cause - me. To be part of something with like-minded people who are going through similar trials and ordeals is encouraging me to eat better, think better and recover a part of me that has been lost.”