Standing proud, with a Prince’s support
War veteran’s f ight for f itness after bomb blast that cost him his legs
BLOWN from his armoured vehicle when it struck a roadside bomb in Afghanistan, platoon sergeant Duncan Slater faced a stark choice – live or die.
Alone in the dust and bleeding heavily, the brave RAF gunner realised he would have to administer his own emergency medical treatment. And although the blast cost him his legs and his military career, his survival instinct has endured.
Fighting back after the near-death experience, the 38-year-old father of one from Muir of Ord, Ross-shire, became the first double amputee to ski to the South Pole in 2013 in an expedition led by Prince Harry.
He made the record books again this month when he completed the 156-mile Marathon des Sables across the Sahara Desert, dubbed the ‘toughest race on Earth’.
He is now preparing for a unique endurance event on Armed Forces Day at the end of June when the Queen opens up her 50,000-acre Royal estate for Walking with the Wounded’s Balmoral Challenge. Sgt Slater, who helped organise the event, said: ‘It is just great that Her Majesty has given her permission.
‘It’s an amazing place with a dramatic landscape and finishing in front of the castle will be very special. It will be a great way for people to show their support for our veterans.
‘I am hoping to complete the most difficult route, over the mountains, to show that prosthetics do not have to hold you back. I have skied to the South Pole, completed a series of marathons in the desert and now I am going to climb mountains.’
It was on the 200-mile trek to the world’s southernmost point that Sgt Slater met Prince Harry and the pair bonded over a shared British sense of humour and cups of tea.
The prince has described Sgt Slater’s efforts as ‘remarkable’ and earlier this month Kensington Palace tweeted ‘Congrats Duncan’ when he crossed the Marathon des Sables finish line.
‘Prince Harry is a huge supporter of wounded servicemen and women and it’s great that his granny the Queen is, too,’ Sgt Slater said. ‘I was lucky enough to spend a lot of time with Prince Harry on the Antarctica expedition and he was amazing.
‘He is a genuine and kind person and so strong. He was there in his own time and was just one of us – no airs or graces. He gets on with everyone and makes sure everyone is OK. He helped carry extra equipment and kept spirits up. It was a tough challenge but he is very physically robust.
‘He would invite us into his tent for a cup of tea and a chinwag. We always had a good banter. He is a credit to the Royal Family – the work he has done to raise awareness of mental health is admirable. A lot of people wouldn’t publicly admit their own struggles, let alone someone as well-known as him.
‘I want to show others who have to go through an amputation that it doesn’t have to ruin your life. I feel like I have been given an opportunity to make a difference.’
Sgt Slater endured a year of agony in an attempt to save his legs before accepting amputation was the way forward. He said: ‘To some people it must seem shocking to want to have your legs amputated but they were not working and were hampering my recovery. It made sense.
‘I had been in pain for a year, relying on very strong painkillers, but the pain went almost immediately and I was able to sleep properly for the first time.’ Now he credits his
wife Kim and seven-year-old daughter Lily with his positive outlook on life, saying: ‘My wife was right there with me through the whole thing and was an incredible support.
‘I wanted to be the best husband and father I could be. I have an example to set to my daughter Lily, that life continues and you have to get the most out of it.
‘My main motivation was walking again so I could run around after her and play with her. I wanted to be that annoying competitive dad standing at the side during sports day, and was sure I wasn’t going to let amputation stop that.’
The Walking with the Wounded Balmoral Challenge will include a Triple Crown route of 33km (20miles) over three Munros, a Prince’s Stone course calling on teams to think strategically and pick up as many points as they can within a time limit, and a ‘family’ route for over-12s through the forests above the castle.