Exeter cyclist Paul Vice admits that crossing the finishing line alongside two of his teammates made striking gold at the inaugural Invictus Games in London all the sweeter.
Vice, who was paralysed by an explosion in Afghanistan in 2011, missed out on a medal in the time trial but quickly made amends in front of a large crowd at the Lee Valley VeloPark in Stratford's Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
The 31-year-old shared the men's recumbent circuit race gold medal with compatriots JJ Chalmers and Robert Cromley-Hawke at the Games, presented by Jaguar Land Rover and championed by Prince Harry, after the trio finished the race hand-in-hand. And the corporal in the Royal Marines 42 Commando, who only took up cycling four weeks ago, insists the shared victory epitomised the spirit of the Invictus Games.
"It was amazing to cross the finish line arm-in-arm with my teammates," said Vice. "That's what this is all about.
"Everybody has been so behind us – the public, other nations, international athletes. It's amazing and absolutely humbling – I'm fighting back tears all the time being here.
"We knew we could just grit it out and see who wins in the circuit race, but what better way to capture the spirit of these Games – overcoming adversity and team work – than to cross the line all together?"
The Invictus Games are an international sporting event for wounded, injured and sick service personnel, with more than 400 competitors from 13 nations taking part in nine sports across four days in London.
In addition to Vice's success, Honiton's Ray Lowrie also had a triumphant Saturday, claiming one gold and two silver indoor rowing medals at the Here East arena.
Jaguar Land Rover is proud to be the presenting partner of the Invictus Games, the international sporting competition for wounded, injured and sick Service personnel. For more information, visit jaguar.com and landrover.com
