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Marathon Major: Wounds made me feel my life was ripped apart
Anna Davis30 Apr 2009
When Major Phil Packer was sent to Basra at the head of 115 Provost Company Royal Military Police he could not know that the conflict would utterly change his life.
His deployment in November 2007 to British HQ in southern Iraq would end with him losing the use of his legs. He suffered spinal injuries when a vehicle rolled over him during the chaos of a mortar attack on the base.
Today he was continuing the London marathon on crutches to raise £1million for Help For Heroes, a charity for those injured in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The 36-year-old, who took his first unaided steps last month, is covering two miles each day before returning to his specially-adapted home in Westminster to recover. He said: "When this first happened I felt my whole life had been ripped apart. I had no idea what to do, but I wanted to still be part of the team and feel I was contributing to the military." He hopes to complete the marathon in two weeks.
Reader views (3)
This man, a true hero, is what Britishness is! It is not a stupid BNP spin, it isnt ridiculous louts claiming there human rights have been infringed and it isnt anything to do with your ethnic background
It is pure bravery, spirit and grit!
An absolute inspiration that should be on the front page of every newspaper in this country!!!
- Not Exactly A Looney Lefty!, The real world, 01/05/2009 08:59
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Keep going Phil mate.
Please donate through his website:
http://www.philpacker.com/
- Frank, Home Counties, England., 30/04/2009 16:24
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Good man: he puts the rest of us to shame - I wish him all the best, along with Help for Heroes http://www.helpforheroes.org.uk/
- Roz, France, 30/04/2009 13:24
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