War graves gardener selected for Invictus Games for second year

CWGC gardener Wayne (Harry) Harrod has been selected to represent the UK in this year’s Invictus Games for a second year running.

Harry (as he likes to be known) has been selected for the UK Cycling and Sailing teams for the games to be held in Sydney, Australia, in October, it has been announced this morning.

Harry represented Great Britain in cycling competitions at the games in Toronto, Canada, last year, taking silver in the Men’s Road Cycling IRB2 Time Trial Final and sixth place in the Men’s Road Cycling IRB2 Criterium Final.

Speaking after last year’s games, he said: “Being part of Team GB and racing for my country against fellow injured competitors from around the globe, has inspired me to push my limits further.

“Winning and receiving my silver medal made all my hard work this year worthwhile, and I am very proud of what I achieved. I’m now looking at the next adventure.”

A former Colour Sergeant in the 1st Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment, Harry had a leg amputated in 2004 after he was hit by a 10 ½ ton Spartan tracked reconnaissance vehicle. He stayed in the army until 2011 before joining the CWGC via the Poppy Factory’s mentoring programme in 2012. The programme enabled Harry to work with the CWGC while studying for his horticultural diplomas from the RHS. He’s now responsible for more than 1,000 war graves at Cambridge.

Harry initially got into cycling to keep fit and ease the cost on commuting, but as the months went by he started to do more and more miles. He now averages more than 150 miles a week and more than 200 when he’s training for races.

The Invictus Games is an international event, started by HRH Prince Harry in 2014, in which wounded armed services personnel and veterans compete in a variety of sports.