A FORMER Bude resident will captain the UK team at the 2018 Invictus Games which gets underway on Saturday (October 20) in Sydney, Australia.

Mark Perkins, 43, who was brought up in the North Cornwall town and served in the army, will lead the 72-strong team of wounded, injured and sick (WIS) military personnel in 11 sports against 17 other countries in the seven-day competition.

In 2000 he suffered a serious injury which changed his life forever. Mark and two colleagues were driving along a road in Kenya when the lorry hit some oil, spun out of control and hit a bank.

The lorry landed on top of his back — leaving his hip in a bad way, although he got off lightly compared to his colleagues who died.

Mark was in and out of hospital for the next four or five years and was on crutches for 18 months before he had his hip rebuilt in 2005, which has since been replaced twice.

A keen sportsman in his youth, Mark fell out of love with it for a number of years, and despite taking up a number of sports since, still suffers problems with his hip.

He said: “I have nerve palsy in my left leg below the knee and into the foot so there’s a lot of muscle weakness down that side.

“I had to have a hip replacement about 15 years ago and the surgeon said the life expectancy for a hip replacement is about 10 to 15 years, although bearing in mind that its for older people as they normally have them.

“At the moment it’s uncomfortable, clunky and it aches in the cold. I’m under review with the surgeon as to whether to whether to keep it for a bit longer or to go for further surgery. I need to look at the state of it.

“I had to have so much physio and I had to choose a different career after leaving the army. I now work as a civil servant rehabilitating injured soldiers. In 2016 I was watching the Invictus Games and watched one of my patients competing when I had a lightbulb moment thinking I should be doing this, as I’m an injured soldier, so I had to get fit and strong.

“I trained so hard and got into the squad and it’s got me back into sport, which I’d given up on. Just watching someone else compete reached out to me.”

Mark, who now lives in Cardiff in Wales, took part in cycling and golf in Toronto last year but was just glad to get through the trials.

He said: “It was much harder competition this year. Over 450 people went to trials and the team has been reduced to 72 meaning there were a lot of competition for the places up for grabs.

I did the trials and put in a strong performance. However it’s not necessarily the best person that goes, it’s for people who will compete and do the right things but it’s also who will improve.

“I’m doing cycling and indoor rowing and then I won the trials the other day for the driving, which is sponsored by Jaguar Land Rover. The first challenge, which is before the opening ceremony, is the Jaguar Land Rover challenge, which is driving Jags and Land Rovers around obstacles.”

The cycling will see him take part in a 30-minute criterium and a 2.4km time trial in his IRB 2 category, which is for amputees and people with joint dysfunctions.

If Mark needed any more motivation, it came when he was told he would lead his country in Sydney by the head of the board.

He said: “I had a phone call and couldn’t believe it. I was talking to him and he told me to shut up as you’re going to be captain. It gave me goosebumps and it’s probably the most speechless I’ve ever been. I was in complete shock.”

Perkins admits he can’t wait to head Down Under for the first time since another landmark event back in 2003.

He said: “I’ve been to Australia before and the last time was when another Bude boy, Phil Vickery, was playing for England and they won the Rugby World Cup. It’s exciting times to be going back to Sydney where I have so many special memories and I’m looking forward to leading my country in front of my family.”

Mark, who is married to Joanna and has a three-year-old and a three-month-old, admits that the support of his hometown continues to astound him.

He said: “There was a surprise party for me in Cardiff last week. Fifteen to 20 people from Bude came up and I was just so shocked. It just shows what type of people they are.”

To find out more visit www.invictusgames2018.org/