Troy Conner was 31 years old when the vehicle he was travelling in detonated an improvised explosive device. His three colleagues were killed and he was left with numerous injuries including a traumatic brain injury. Ten years on, he has found the strength to share his story of adversity and resilience to inspire others.

Upon being injured, he was taken to hospital where doctors operated on him to reduce the pressure on his brain. He was then brought back to a military hospital in Birmingham, where he remained in an induced coma for five weeks.

That was in 2009 and Troy, who is now 41-years-old, has found his voice and is now able to speak about his ordeal, empowers others to overcome their adversities at the same time.

"I remember the explosion, and everything being blurred. I couldn't hear anything. But then there was lots of shooting and my immediate reaction was to fire back in that direction. I remember reaching for my gun and firing back. My next memory is of waking up in the hospital with tubes coming out of my body and being surrounded by my family."

Troy had a brain injury, a broken back, loss of sight in one eye and shrapnel wounds which led to him spending over a year in rehabilitation.

After 12 months of hard work, he learned how to walk and talk again and improve his memory and balance. 

"It’s not all been plain sailing, but I managed to get back on my feet. I started gently jogging and riding bikes. My main ambition was to get back into the forces, but I kept having epileptic seizures. I asked if I could go back but I was medically discharged in 2011. It was the end of my military career. I got very down about it.”

Troy started to contact military charities such as Blesma.

He says their help has been invaluable in helping him get back to leading an independent and fulfilling life.

He now tries to raise awareness and funds for the charity; having completed two bike rides, and also a triathlon in 2016. Troy also competes in ski marathons for the Armed Forces Para Snowsport Team.

Becoming a part of Blesma’s Making Generation R programme has allowed Troy to find his voice, and a new focus as he sets out to share his story with those who would benefit from finding the resilience to overcome difficulties in their own lives.