Invictus Games Athlete Finds Strength in Sport After Traumatic Injury
Army Staff Sergeant Jonny Ball, a competitor in the Invictus Games, credits sport for pulling him from the depths of despair following a life-altering leg injury.
The Wellingborough native clinched a bronze in powerlifting at the event in Düsseldorf, Germany, a feat that he describes as “tremendously impactful” for his life.
The Invictus Games, established by Prince Harry in 2014, is a platform for wounded, injured, and sick servicemen and women to showcase their resilience and strength.
The UK sent a team of 59 to Germany, joining over 500 competitors from 21 nations.
Ball’s journey to the Games was marked by a near-fatal motorcycle crash in 2019 that almost cost him his leg.
He lost all flesh, tissue, and muscle around his left ankle, and even the sole of his foot, which was later reattached using wires.
After seven surgeries and four years of recovery, Ball found solace and strength in sport and the workout routines that come with it.
Speaking to BBC Radio Northampton, Ball described the Invictus Games as “the human spirit at its best”.
He said, “It came a point in my life where I’d been in some pretty dark times, both with my mental and physical health as a result of trauma.
“But I found sport has a way of lifting me out of that darkness and the Invictus opportunity was the bit that has given me the chance to showcase everything I’ve achieved through human endeavour over the last four years.
“To be able to go out there on the world stage and to stand on the stage and look across at my little girl and my wife with a medal around my neck and the Union flag draped over my shoulders is a memory that will stick with me for the rest of my life.”
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