Former Royal Navy Leading Hand, Gemma suffers from back and leg pain as a result of complex regional pain syndrome, which developed from an ankle injury. She is in constant pain which often leaves her unable to walk. She also faces a daily battle against hidden wounds; anxiety and depression. She struggles to cope with noise and crowds and finds it hard to maintain friendships. Sport has proved to be the ultimate distraction. The minute Gemma is on her way to a training session, she is in the zone, concentrating on what she is there to do, happy that she has a focus. She said: “When participating in Archery, I become a totally different person. I am confident and liberated. It unscrambles my brain and allows me to focus on the person I used to be before getting injured.”