Stuart Robinson

It was a shock when I eventually woke up to find my left leg gone and my right leg in a bad state with toes missing and lumps of leg gone. My jaw was wired, my shoulders were fractured and I had tubes, cables and wires all over my body.

At the age of 17, Stuart Robinson joined the RAF. He went on to be deployed in both Iraq and Afghanistan as Patrol Commander.

On his fourth deployment to Afghanistan in 2013, Stuart and part of his Regiment were struck by a hidden IED while on vehicle patrol in Helmand. 

He was travelling in an open topped fighting vehicle known as a Jackal. The first vehicle passed over the IED without it detonating, however, devastatingly, when Stuart’s vehicle went over the IED, it detonated.

Stuart was taken to Camp Bastion, then urgently flown to Birmingham back in the UK where he was placed in an induced coma. Stuart woke up almost two months later with little recollection of what happened.

Whilst at Birmingham Hospital his right leg had to be rebuilt, but the surgery failed which then led to significant circulation problems, which resulted in the loss of Stuart’s toes and eventually an elective amputation.  

Understandably, it was a massive shock to Stuart when he woke up from his coma to find his left leg amputated and his right leg in a very bad state, with toes missing and parts of his leg gone.

Stuart didn’t let this stop him from exceeding in life. Over time, he concentrated on small challenges and goals in a resilient effort to limit his life-changing injuries from getting him mentally down.

While going through rehabilitation at Headley Court, a rehabilitation centre for injured members of the British Armed Forces, Stuart found a path into elite sport.

Very quickly, after consistent training and rehabilitation, Stuart became a key member of the GB wheelchair rugby squad that won a gold medal at the 2014 Invictus Games in London. His Paralympic journey didn’t stop there as he went on to compete at 2016 Rio Paralympic Games and won a gold at the Tokyo Paralympics.

Over the years, Stuart has also competed in the European Championships, World Championships, World Wheelchair Rugby Challenge, King Power Quad Nations Wheelchair Rugby Tournament, International Wheelchair Rugby Cup and Invictus Games. 

His drive, determination and unmatched experience has led to him becoming GB’s Wheelchair Rugby vice-captain in 2023.