A soldier injured in Iraq is preparing to take part in a two-man row across the English Channel.
Major Phil Packer, a 36-year-old paraplegic, is raising money for the Help for Heroes charity. He will leave at midnight on Friday with Alastair Humphreys, an adventurer who once cycled around the world. Maj Packer, who lives in Westminster, London, said: “I’ve had a second chance at life and now want to support other people with disabilities.” Maj Packer, who served with the Royal Military Police, was injured on 19 February last year in Basra. He was hit by a vehicle and dragged underneath it during an incident that followed a rocket attack. He suffered a bruised heart and damage to his ribs and chest and became a complete paraplegic, losing the motor and sensory use of his legs. As a result of his injuries he was told he would never walk again. However, almost a year later, Maj Packer has regained some feeling in his legs and is determined to walk once more.
He remains a serving army officer and has also set himself the challenge of raising £1m for the Help for Heroes charity, which helps those who have been wounded in Britain’s current conflicts.