A VETERAN who is paralysed from the waist down is hoping to add another string to his bow by becoming Paralympic champion.

Mikey Hall, from Richmond, is currently ranked fourth in the world for archery, and has been packing in hours of training as he prepares to represent Team GB in Rio de Janeiro next month.

Mr Hall, 40, was a member of 1st the Queen’s Dragoon Guards with The Welsh Cavalry when, in 2000, he was left paralysed from the chest down after an accident on an assault course, breaking his neck and back in numerous places.

After joining Help for Heroes Sports Recovery programme while being supported at the charity’s Phoenix House Recovery Centre in Catterick Garrison, the keen archer was talent-spotted as a potential competitor on the world stage.

In June 2015, he was awarded an Athlete Performance Award by UK Sport as a Podium Potential athlete and joined the Archery GB World Class Programme.

Mr Hall was already a qualified archery coach and he now uses a compound bow, a shorter bow, ideal for target shooting and easier to use when in a wheelchair.

Help for Heroes works in partnership with the British Paralympic Association and Archery GB to introduce military personnel to Paralympic Sport.

Looking forward to flying to Rio on August 31, he said: “Ordinarily I train for five or six hours, six days a week and then, on four of those days I also do 45 minutes in the gym at night too.

“There are 11 athletes in the GB Archery Paralympic Squad. Some use a recurve bow while others shoot with a compound bow like me. Before the competitions for medals start, we take part in a ranking round.

“If I rank higher than the other two compound archers in the GB team, then I will also make it into the team competition.

“I know all the top archers from the other participating countries because I have competed against them at qualifying competitions.

“I am currently ranked fourth in the world – not bad after just one year of competing at that level - but that doesn’t mean I am not a medal contender as archery is as much about making sure you are in the right place mentally as it is a target sport.

“It is really tough to keep focused so I just have to make sure that I do that better than the three guys who are ranked higher than me.”

Archery will be held from September 11 to 17. To see Mr Hall talking more about his road to Rio visit http://www.helpforheroes.org.uk/sports-recovery/elite-military-athletes/mikey-hall/.