On July 1 2010 Micky Yule’s life changed forever.
The Royal Engineer stepped on an IED in Afghanistan’s Helmand Province. He lost both legs and went under the surgeon’s knife more than 40 times over the next few years.
Despite his horrific, life-changing injury, Micky, 37, from Musselburgh, showed incredible grit and determination in the face of terrible adversity.
He began lifting weights. Last summer the former soldier qualified for a place at this summer’s Olympics in Rio and in November he won a gold medal at the European Powerlifting Championships.
Now he is an ambassador for the 2016 Alliance Trust Cateran Yomp.
The 54-mile walk, taking place over June 11 and 12 on the historic Perthshire walking trail, is in its sixth year and has raised £1.8 million for ABF The Soldiers’ Charity the same charity that gave Micky a grant to buy professional weightlifting equipment.
Yesterday Micky was welcomed to Alliance Trust headquarters by chief executive Katherine Garrett-Cox and told a crowd of around 60 the story of his transformation from injured soldier to gold medal-winning athlete.
The audience included sports students from Abertay University and local businesses and individuals interested in signing up for the Scottish fundraising event.
Micky spoke of what motivates him every time he competes: “I think ‘we’re all in this together and if I win this people won’t think injured soldiers are for the scrapheap.
“They’ll understand what we are still capable of.’”
For more details of the yomp see the Soldiers Charity website.