AN INJURED Dunfermline bomb disposal expert has his sights trained on next year's Invictus Games after Help for Heroes introduced him to recovery through sport.

Ben Groves, a 39-year-old father of four, was injured badly after trying to diffuse explosives in Afghanistan and still has shrapnel embedded in his left leg that can't be removed.

Depression and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder saw him "hit rock bottom" last year but an Invictus taster event gave him a sporting goal to aim for and he's also set to take part in a fundraising cycle to the beaches of Normandy, marking 75 years since the D-Day landings.

Ben said: "The opportunity to attend the Team UK Invictus Games event at the National Sports Centre in Manchester was a highlight in my calendar.

"After hitting rock bottom last year I succumbed to the despair that PTSD brings with it.

"I didn't leave the house, pushed my friends and family away and thought my home was my 'castle' and safe place.

"Through sport and competition, I was shown a way to re-engage with the outside world. It gave me a purpose, a belonging and a reason to live and I have made new friends along the way."

He added: "I cannot stress enough how grateful I am to Help for Heroes.

"Having their support, empathy and encouragement has allowed me to demonstrate my potential to others and also to reaffirm to myself that I can still be competitive at sport despite my injuries."

Ben decided to enlist in the forces after the Twin Towers terrorist attack in New York in September 2001 and is due to be medically discharged after 17 years in the forces.

He served for eight years as a Royal Military policeman in Germany but after two tours in Iraq, he felt he could make more of a difference as a bomb disposal operator.

He retrained and was posted to Afghanistan, the Falklands and Kenya.

Ben suffered serious injuries while part of an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) disposal team in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, in March 2010.

He was involved in numerous explosions, including a grenade strike, and his injuries include a Minor Traumatic Brain Injury (MTBI), complex PTSD, anxiety and depression, dissociation disorder, and spinal and leg injuries which affects his mobility.

Backed by forces charity Help for Heroes, Ben was encouraged to give sport a try to help him recover and enjoy his life.

He said: “When I was introduced to hand cycling I immediately took to it and found that it gave me the release I craved.

"I hope to compete at the Team UK Games in Sheffield in July and, if possible, in the Invictus Games 2020 and show my family and friends how far I have come.

"None of this would be possible without the support from them and Help for Heroes."

Launched in 2014, the Invictus Games are an international adaptive multi-sport event created by Prince Harry for wounded, injured or sick armed services personnel. It uses the power of sport, teamwork and competition to accelerate their recovery significantly.

The next games are in the The Hague and the Team UK trials in Sheffield coincide with the national championship for wounded, injured and sick service personnel and veterans.

Ben is also training every day to take part in Help for Heroes’ Big Battlefield Bike Ride in June, with a group of veterans commemorating the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings with a cycle to the beaches of Normandy.

Ben said: “I'm currently training on a hand bike lent to me by Help for Heroes. I have my own Wolturnus Race handbike on order, funded by military charities, which should arrive in early March.”

And he won't be finished there as he added: "My ambition is to ride non-stop around the North Coast 500 route on my handcycle, a feat I don't believe has been achieved to date.

"I want to raise money equal to or greater than the financial support I have already received. I feel it is crucial that I 'pay' back what I have taken out so that others may receive the support they need.”

Veterans and currently-serving personnel who are wounded, injured or sick can find out more information and sign up to join Team UK before March 9 at http://h4hweb.com/jointeamuk