ARCHERS who are recovering from injuries gained while serving in the Armed Forces are waiting to hear if they have been selected to go into the next stage of a Paralympic assessment programme.

Archery GB and Help for Heroes teamed up to search for potential Paralympic athletes of tomorrow from serving personnel or veterans at an event at Phoenix House, Catterick Garrison, on August 4 and 5.

No experience was necessary for the two-day camp which included elite coaching from Team GB, but scouts from the British Paralympic Association were looking out for talent to be nurtured ahead of the 2020 Paralympic Games and the second phase will take place in September.

Jayne Kavanagh, performance pathway manager for Help for Heroes, said: “The aim of the event was to find talented archers with the potential to go to Tokyo 2020.

“The biggest thing for us is to give the wounded, injured and sick personnel and veterans the opportunity to try archery, develop confidence and self-belief – that’s all part of the sports recovery.

“For Team GB, we are looking for mental and physical toughness, but also a real enjoyment of the sport – you won’t excel at something if you don’t love it.”

One of the veterans taking part was Chris Parkes, 27, who lost a leg after his vehicle hit an improvised explosion device (IED) in Afghanistan in 2009.

Mr Parkes, from Murton, County Durham, has been shooting arrows for about six years and said he hopes to be selected for the next round in the process which will take place in September.

He said: “After losing my leg I wanted to take up new sports to give myself new challenges, and at Phoenix House I think I got on really well.

“I never thought about competitive sport before but I’d really like to give it a go.”

Mr Parkes, who was in the 3rd Rifles infantry, said he feels lucky to be alive and to have only lost one leg.

He added: “You have got to try and stay positive. In the explosion my right leg and arm were hanging off so at first I thought I’d die and then I thought I’d be a triple amputee but the surgeons were miracle workers.

“I was given the chance to live my life so that’s what I want to do to the full.”

Archery GB performance director Sara Symington said: “Archery GB and Help for Heroes are joining forces to springboard the World Class Paralympic Program into the Tokyo cycle with a targeted talent initiative.

“Archery GB has already demonstrated a strong track record of accelerating the development of athletes with Paralympic potential, and with the support of Help for Heroes we hope to unearth the next tranche of precocious talent for Tokyo and beyond.”

For more information about how Help for Heroes can help if you’re wounded, injured or sick, visit www.helpforheroes.org.uk or contact Phoenix House recovery centre on 01748-834148.