A SOLDIER taking part in the Sydney Invictus Games has come home with three medals – and a new fiancée.

Private Scott McNeice, 34, from Catterick Garrison, was taking part in six sports at the Games, which bring wounded, injured and sick veterans and serving military personnel together from around the world to compete in a wide range of sports.

Pte McNeice lost his left leg after a seemingly straightforward knee injury during a training exercise, followed by complications after 12 operations in 12 months and an infection.

He competed in in archery, swimming, cycling on hand bike, wheelchair racing, wheelchair rugby and seated volleyball, winning silver medals in rugby and volleyball, and bronze in group archery.

But Mr McNeice, who receives support from Help for Heroes' recovery centre Phoenix House in Catterick Garrison, had other big plans throughout his trip to Australia.

He said: "I had been planning to propose to my girlfriend Caitlin Stokes for months, and wanted to do it during a medal ceremony but it didn't work out because it was too busy.

"So I did it during the closing ceremony of the Invictus Games in front of about 50,000 people in the Sydney Olympic Stadium.

"Luckily she said yes – we ended up on the big screen when the TV cameras realised what was happening."

He said the experience of the Invictus Games was very busy and intense, but incredible to be part of.

"Doing six sports meant I was busy every day and we didn't have much chance to do any sightseeing.

"But we made lots of friends, both from the military and civilians."

Miss Stokes added: "We actually met a woman with a little boy while getting ice cream one day, they were originally from the UK and had watched some of the Games and the boy was really inspired.

"It was lovely to hear.

"The proposal came as a complete shock, apparently everyone knew about it but me!

"I think I just kept nodding, I was too surprised to say anything."

Mr McNeice describes Miss Stokes, a medic who specialises in sports massage therapies, as his rock. “I wouldn’t be where I am now if it wasn’t for her."

He said his next goal was the 2020 Winter Paralympic Games in snowboarding.

"I start training with the Armed Forced and Paras snow sport team in January and hopefully I'll be good enough for the Paralympics in a couple of years."