Five Blesma Members will be competing and aiming for podium positions at this year’s delayed 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games. Starting today (Tuesday 24 August), these are the military athletes you should be looking out for…
Lesley Stewart
Lesley is a single above knee amputee and will be competing in the R8 (50m Rifle 3 Position Women SH1) and R2 (10m Air Rifle Standing Women SH1) categories of Target Shooting.
She served in the Royal Military Police before she was injured on an annual combat fitness test.
Lesley lived much of the last 20 years in extreme pain and even underwent multiple operations including two amputations until she received a life-threatening deep brain stimulation operation in 2009. The operation was a success.
This will be Lesley’s debut Paralympic Games after she was on track to compete at the Rio 2016 Paralympics, but a bad infection led to nearly a year in hospital and a further amputation up her leg.
Along her journey, Lesley has received support with her shooting career from Blesma.
“Being told I was going to the Games didn’t seem real until I receive my team GB kit to my front door. I suddenly realised it was no longer a dream. It took me back to my military days when I earned the right to wear my red beret. The amount of pride and honour all came back when I saw the GB kit. I’ve had the chance to serve my country and now I’ve got the chance to represent my country.”
“If I look back to 2016, I would have never thought, lying in that hospital bed, that I would be getting ready to compete at the Paralympic Games. I never even thought I’d be back shooting.
"It’s not just me that competing is dedicated to, but my whole family, my wife, Blesma, British Shooting and Scottish Target shooting. They have all helped me get from a hospital bed to competing in Tokyo. So though I’m the one pulling the trigger, without all of that support, it would have never happened.”
Lesley will be competing in R2 on Monday 30 August and R8 on Friday 3 September.
Stuart Robinson
Royal Air Force Veteran Stu, who lost both his legs while serving on his fourth tour of Afghanistan, will be competing in Wheelchair Rugby, which he was introduced to in 2014 during rehabilitation.
His passion and talent for the sport have taken him to the London Invictus Games where he came away with gold. Following this, he captained the UK team for the Invictus Games in Orlando (2016) and Toronto (2017) and was selected to join the ParalympicsGB inspiration programme for the Rio 2016 Games. He will make his Paralympic debut at Tokyo 2020.
“I was very proud to serve in the military and have the Union Jack on my sleeve so being able to wear that again is a huge achievement and honour. I’m proud and privileged to be representing GB and to be part of something that will leave a legacy helping others to get into the sport.
“My family will be cheering me on, I know, and my kids George and Amelia, who are 11 and 5-years-old, have designed a couple for posters to wish me luck. It is going to be an incredible experience.
“The competition will be tough but we are ready for the challenge and will give it everything. The sport has given me so much after leaving the military and the camaraderie and teamwork that goes with it and I hope our efforts at the Paralympics will introduce the sport to other injured veterans.”
Stu will be competing with the GB Wheelchair Rugby squad against Canada on 25 August, against New Zealand on 26 August and against the USA on 27 August, and if successful, they will play in the semi-finals on 27/28 August and finals on 29 August.
Jaco Van Gass
Jaco lost his left arm at the elbow when he was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade in Afghanistan.
He will now compete in the mixed team sprint squad, the C1-3 Kilo, C3 individual pursuit, c3 time trial and C1-3 road race categories in Track and Road Cycling.
Competing at the Paralympics has been a dream for Jaco since the 2012 London Paralympics and he narrowly missed out on selection for Rio.
He will compete on 26-28 August, 30-31 August and 2 September.
Micky Yule
Micky is a former Staff Sergeant in the Royal Engineers. He will be competing in the 72kg category in Powerlifting at Rio.
Micky is a double leg amputee after he stood on an IED in July 2010 whilst deployed in Afghanistan.
Micky made his Paralympic debut at Rio 2016, where he competed in the 65kg category. He recorded a best lift of 180kg before failures at 184kg and 187kg, ranking him in sixth place.
Micky will be competing on 28 August.
Phil Eaglesham
Phil will be representing Ireland in the R4 Mixed 10m Air Rifle standing SH2, R5 Mixed 10m Air Rifle Prone SH2, R9 Mixed 50m Rifle Prone SH2 categories of Target Shooting.
Phil joined the Royal Marines in 2004 and contracted Q Fever, a bacterial infection passed on by animals, whilst serving in Afghanistan in 2010. Despite the infection being treated, Phil’s condition continues to deteriorate.
Phil also made his Paralympic debut at Rio 2016, where he finished 30th.
Phil will be competing on Monday 30 August, Wednesday 1 September and Saturday 4 September.
Full interviews with our Tokyo Para athletes will be available in our Blesma magazine from October 2021.
For more information about ParalympicsGB, please visit www.paralympics.org.uk
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