Army veteran back with Team UK after loss of son

A visually-impaired army veteran of 14 years' service is flying to Canada to compete for Team UK in the Invictus Games.

The last time Mark Abel competed in the games was in Florida in 2016, when he was with his son, Sam, and his wife, Anita.

He fell out of love with the sport after Sam, who was 14, took his own life the following year.

Since then, he was picked to compete again in Vancouver. The former army corporal from Worcester said he kept fit after losing Sam, but after selection trained a lot harder and was now looking forward to "doing the nation proud".

The Invictus Games, staged every two years, see injured military personnel and veterans from around the world compete in a range of sports.

Mr Abel is competing in indoor rowing, skiing, skeleton and swimming.

The 57-year-old remembered how in Florida his son was "super-excited because he got to stand poolside with the team".

Describing how he lost Sam, he said: "He took his own life through bullying at school, online, and of course we didn't spot it, and that completely broke us.

"And they say when you're down you keep getting kicked, and the day before his funeral, Anita was diagnosed with cancer of the pancreas."

He said his wife was now cancer-free, but still had "good days and bad days like everybody else".

Nine years on from Florida, Mr Abel said he felt more prepared this time.

In Florida, he competed in swimming but as a big skier, he had been waiting for a winter sport, so he applied for skiing and was selected.

"During training I got introduced to indoor rowing, so I took part in indoor rowing," he said.

He then added skeleton to the list, where competitors race headfirst down an icy track on a small sled.

Mr Abel, who has not yet competed on the ice, said: "I've been on the push track at Bath, which is a downhill, uphill training area, and when I first did that – oh my God – the excitement and the adrenalin was huge."

As he set off, he said he was apprehensive, excited - and dreading it.

"I'm really looking forward to it," he said.

Follow BBC Hereford & Worcester on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.