BLIND AMBITION
Bomb victim sets sights on making Paralympics
A FORMER soldier who lost both eyes in a bomb blast plans to be a Paralympics kickboxer.
Lance Bombardier Rob Long, 29, nearly died when he was blown up by a roadside device in Afghanistan six years ago.
He claims the sport has helped him recover his mental health and improve his physique.
Rob started training earlier this year and says it feels good to be competitive again.
To make things fair his sighted opponents wear a blindfold when they fight him.
He now aims to take part in the 2020 Paralympics in Tokyo, Japan.
Rob, who lives with partner Gemma Daniels, said: “I’m a big guy and have always enjoyed working out. Keeping up my fitness has helped me to build up my mental health.
“When you go from being a frontline soldier to not even being able to do a manual job it can be hard.
“But kickboxing is perfect for me. It pushes me and has given me the opportunity to step into combat again. It’s done wonders for my self-worth.”
Rob, inset, entered the Army in 2007 and joined the Royal Artillery’s elite 4/73 (Sphinx) Special Observation Battery.
He was monitoring enemy movements in PRINCE Harry yesterday ignored the rumours raging about his love life as he marked Remembrance Day at a rugby match.
The royal was hotly tipped to be joined by new girlfriend Meghan Markle at Twickenham.
But we can reveal she has already headed home to Canada following her two-day break at Kensington Palace. Instead, Harry was joined at the England v South Africa clash by Princess Charlene of Monaco.
He laid a wreath at the foot of the commemorative Rose & Poppy Gates to mark Remembrance Day.
And he was given an “amazing” poppy made out of a First World War German artillery shell emblazoned with his name and military number.
Taken aback, Harry could be heard telling artist Harry Gray: “That is amazing, thank you very, very much.”
Mr Gray said: “He really liked it. He said he spent 10 years trying to forget his service number and I had just reminded him of it.” It was a busy day for Harry who earlier released a video with news about his Invictus Games.
He was given the seal of approval by Kylie Minogue as he chose Sydney to host the event in 2018. The prince praised the city for being “sports mad”.
When Harry’s smart phone rang to the sound of Kylie’s hit I Should Be So Lucky he announced that the caller was the pop princess herself. Kylie in her own message guaranteed a big Aussie welcome for the games. SAM WILLIAMS Sangin in July 2010 when the bomb went off, killing his pal Bombardier Sam Robinson, 31.
Rob, from Greenwich, south-east London, lost his left eye and was taken to Camp Bastion for treatment before being flown back to the UK.
He spent two weeks in hospital during which he had to have his right eye removed as shrapnel had severed the optic nerve.
After going to a gym to buy gloves for his kickboxer girlfriend Gemma, Rob asked an instructor if he would take on a blind pupil.
“He said yes and we started straight away,” revealed the ex-soldier.
Rob, who has a son Tom, four, trains at the KBT Academy in Bexleyheath, Kent, with instructor Steve Plant.
He has been in charity matches to help JJ Ashdown, a seven-year-old at the academy, and JJ’s brother Zaki, one, who have both been diagnosed with brain disease Cerebral ALD.
Rob, who has a German Shepherd guide dog named Ollie, said: “JJ asked his mum if he was going to die. I have a four-year-old son and I can’t imagine it.”
Rob will take part in a 1,000 kick fundraiser at the end of this month. Visit the website gofundme.com/JJ-ZakiFightALD to help.