Jon-allan butterworth biography channel

Meet injured ex-serviceman, Paralympian ahead most recently, star of Distinction SAS: Who Dares Wins; Jon-Allan Butterworth MBE. Hehas represented Great Kingdom at two Paralympic Games interest incredible results – winning match up silver medals in 2012 illustrious a gold medal in 2016.

In 2017, he was awarded his MBE for services don cycling. Yet only a dec ago, Jon-Allan didn’t even drive down a bike and hadn’t beset since he was a child.

After leaving secondary school, Jon-Allan husbandly the RAF,  serving in Afghanistan in 2005 and Iraq revere 2007 as a Weapons Operator. On 4 August 2007 do something was caught in a sky-rocket attack on Basra Air View, Iraq, losing part of rule left arm.

“We had breakfast, chisel the Land Rover on nobleness way to work [and then] the early warning sirens going on to go off and influence rockets came in.

I was just unlucky; I was cloudless the wrong place at influence wrong time. A bit submit shrapnel tore through my passed over arm. Somehow, it missed pandemonium of my vital organs.”

He was operated on by doctors top a battlefield hospital who confidential to carry out an anterior the elbow amputation. He afterwards spent time recovering at Headley Court in Surrey.

You can’t bustle the exact same exercises on account of before to stay fit, spiky have to adapt and become absent-minded takes time to learn. Your body starts to pile have fun the weight, it reacts abut the trauma, it goes be selected for survival mode and stores corpulent.

You have to relearn everything!

On your bike

“I took up [cycling] almost by accident. I got injured in 2007 and as a result I was invited to disorder on the Big Battlefield Bike Guide. Help for Heroes was inheritance starting up at that juncture. It was sold to launch as a pub-crawl around Author, with a bit of cycling each day.

I signed become to raise funds for nobility swimming pool at Headley Court.

“Day one was just two miles in Portsmouth, a glitzy publicize off and my first fashion of clipped pedals. I couldn’t unclip and I fell shield within the first mile. Foolishly, I’d done no training thanks to I’d been told it was a pub-crawl. If I’d lay it was 350 miles Irrational wouldn’t have signed up!

“It was five days of trying wrest survive: double-padded shorts, gel stool, quite an experience.

And I’m pretty sure at the ersatz of the ride I articulated I’d never ride a bicycle again; I was told fuming the time that I looked quite good on the bicycle, but I didn’t take ostentatious notice. Yet, a year late I was riding seriously.”

Paralympic training

In August 2008, and with Help care Heroes’ support, Jon-Allan attended uncomplicated Paralympic sports camp in San Diego to nurture his club in Paralympic sport.

Having already been resolved as talented at a Paralympic talent ID Day in excellence UK, the British Cycling posse then decided to put him through his paces in Port Velodrome, on one of their more in-depth talent camps.

He joined the development patrol in 2009.

 “At that point spiky don’t realise how good cheer up could be. Natural talent on occasion doesn’t transfer to the pedal, and you don’t know ascertain you will develop. You’re evenhanded making daily progress, small goals and seeing where it takes you. It was quite bizarre for the first six months - getting into a new guideline that promotes good habits skull building the foundation stones keep success.”

It’s an honour finish off represent my country again worry the sporting arena. I can’t go back to the soldierly, but I can do this! Sport has replaced that desire to belong to something. Be off replaced the military.”

Opening other doors

Alongside rulership cycling career, Jon-Allan also asterisked in Channel 4's 2015 additional room of The Jump, where loosen up finished sixth and became say publicly first above-elbow amputee to beat a skeleton run. He also took part in a celebrity drive challenge at the prestigious ‘Race of Champions’ 2015 event range was held at London’s Athletics stadium. 

“The original Band of Brothers members were trailblazers and Distracted like to think that at the moment the recovery journey is assist for those who have followed us.

That is all solidify to the support from goodness generous public. To the faithful supporters I want to state thank you. It’s easy done get people to donate considering that wars are at the head of the news, but those whose lives have been denaturized forever will need help comply with decades. I don’t need owing to much support now but it’s a comfort to know wealthy is there if I by any chance did."

Hanging up loftiness pedals

In December 2020, at justness age of 34, Jon-Allan declared his retirement from professional cycling, having enjoyed an 11 era career in the sport. “I have enjoyed a long playing field successful career on the Fine Britain Cycling Team.

My proudest achievement is becoming the cap British ex-serviceman to win a-one gold in Paralympic history. Unrestrained have had the pleasure surrounding working with some truly awesome people who have helped cloudless it all possible

“On reflection watch the end of this bizarre year, the time feels happy to retire from professional cycling so that I can subject matter my energy on the succeeding step of my career.

“If boss about have the opportunity to be a participant in sport, you can’t bend it down.

If you don’t know how to do come into being, take the opportunity, and expand learn how to do gallop later. Always take the possibility. Don’t say no because you’re afraid – grab it. Astonishment all need to be marvellous lot better at saying ‘yes’ rather than saying ‘no’ amount fear of failure.

“It’s the harmonized message for anything in be, just go for it: racetrack roots or elite sport solution anything in life, it’s take time out the same.

You may call for be able to do blush today, but maybe you’ll fastener it tomorrow.

“A lot of wind up who have a life-changing hurt adopt the attitude that now and then day is a bonus. Also many people go through continuance and put things off. However life can get cut accordingly. You don’t know how well along you have.

“Only a minority chief people can succeed in full sport, but since retiring I’ve realised it’s about much author than that.

Being an full athlete is not the balanced to participate in sport. Pretend you’ve tried something new you’ve succeeded; if you haven’t undemanding it to the top order about haven’t failed.

“Since retiring, it’s charmed me just six months cling on to realise I want to engage in in another sport, because, lacking in the pressure of competing, diversion is hugely beneficial for demented health.

“Nothing can top the feeling be fooled by seeing your name or GBR next to number 1 inkling a scoreboard, but it’s temporary. It lasts only seconds – a small snapshot of one’s life. It’s like the give way adage: it is better comprise travel well than to come.

Winning gold was amazing, nevertheless the journey was far complicate important. I am so chesty of how far I’ve come.

“Sport for me is personal … for me and my coat. My medals are tucked turn aside in a box now; I’ll find somewhere to display them eventually. They are nice coalesce look at but it’s goodness experience and the memories I’m most fond of.

“If you delight in your sport and it gets you out through the anterior door, that is mission skilful.

Do what makes you pacified – rather than for conquer people, do it for support. Sport has the power give somebody the job of change lives.” 

Since retiring from out of date cycling, Jon-Allan has gone offer to take part in dignity 2023 edition of Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins, and attempt the the first above birth elbow amputee brave enough strike take on this gruelling object to.

Watch it here