Sons will see Doncaster mum run for first time when former army medic and amputee competes in Invictus Games

When Lisa Johnston competes at the Invictus Games, it will be the first time that two of her sons have seen her run.

The former army medic and amputee from Doncaster is part of a 61-strong squad of wounded, injured and sick military personnel and veterans taking part in the international sporting competition.

She will represent Team UK in four events – athletics, swimming, wheelchair rugby and rowing - at the games, which will be held at The Hague, in the Netherlands.

Lisa, 39, had her left leg amputated after suffering an injury during a routine physical training session with the Royal Army Medical Corps in 2014.

She was diagnosed with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome after the injury, a poorly understood condition where a person experiences persistent severe and debilitating pain.

She struggled to do basic things such as hugging her children for fear of being hurt by them. Months of treatment went by but nothing seemed to make a difference.

The next step was amputation and whilst the operation gave Lisa the opportunity to hug her three boys again, life was difficult, and her confidence was affected.

“Taking part in the Invictus Games is the next big chapter in my recovery,” she says. “It shows my children that by trying my hardest to do the best I can, even as an amputee, that no matter what life throws at you, you can overcome it. With hard work and determination, kindness, compassion and understanding, you can achieve whatever you put your mind to. Most of all, I want my children to be proud.”

The international sporting event for wounded, injured and sick servicemen and women, both serving and veterans, will bring together more than 500 people from multiple nations to compete in a series of adaptive sports.

More than 90 per cent of the Team UK competitors will be taking part in their first Invictus Games. They were originally selected in October 2019. When the pandemic hit, the 2020 games were shifted to 2021, but uncertainty forced a second postponement and the event now begins on April 16.

After being selected, Lisa met the Duke of Sussex, who has been the driving force behind the Paralympics-style event. Just three years earlier, in the aftermath of the amputation, she had been sat at home, binge-watching Netflix and feeling sorry for herself.

“I found it difficult to leave the house for a long time,” she said in 2019. “I felt very uncomfortable about people staring, whispering and pointing. I was eating rubbish, binge-watching Netflix.

It got to a point that when walking around or playing with my boys, I was quick to be out of breath. I thought what kind of example am I setting for my children?’”

She explained that sport had “literally given me my life back”.

Lisa’s sons haven’t been able to join her at the Invictus Games training camps organised by forces and veterans charity Help for Heroes, so Adam, 15, Charlie, 10, and Ethan, nine, gave her a teddy, complete with its own prosthetic leg, to remind her of their love and support.

“My two younger boys have never seen me run before so I can’t wait for them, and my husband, to see me cross the finish line on the athletics track,” Lisa says.

Help for Heroes’ Hannah Lawton, who is chef de mission for Team UK, adds: “The journey to an Invictus Games is always massive for every competitor as they learn to adapt to life-changing injuries and illnesses, and manage daily struggles, before even getting to the point of applying to compete.

"None of us imagined that Team UK would have the added challenge of a pandemic and a delay of two years. These competitors are well-versed in taking on challenges though and I’m so proud of the commitment they’ve shown to the team.”