{"id":7505,"date":"2021-03-13T16:52:47","date_gmt":"2021-03-13T16:52:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sportsnewsforyou.com\/?p=7505"},"modified":"2021-03-13T16:52:47","modified_gmt":"2021-03-13T16:52:47","slug":"invictus-games-medallist-jack-cummings-on-how-swimming-helped-his-rehab","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/googmn.com\/?p=7505","title":{"rendered":"Invictus Games medallist Jack Cummings on how swimming helped his rehab"},"content":{"rendered":"

When you\u2019re given the chance to meet and swim with a bronze-medalist, you\u2019d be daft to turn it down. Jack Cummings isn\u2019t your average swimmer, though. After losing both his legs above the knee while working as a Bomb Disposal Officer in Afghanistan, swimming gave him a focus for his physical rehab, while the Invictus Games became a motivational force as his skills improved.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Advertisement<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

So what is it like to learn to swim again \u2013 and to take that bronze medal? We met Jack at the Victory Swim, where he was swimming in open water for the first time and taking on a 1500m distance. The event was organised by the Felix Fund, a charity which supports the UK\u2019s bomb disposal experts and the wider EOD (explosive ordnance disposal) community and their families. We also grabbed some time with Captain James Wadsworth, bomb disposal expert and founder of the Victory Swim, to find out more about how triathletes can get involved in the fund\u2019s charity challenges.<\/p>\n

220: Were you always a keen swimmer?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Jack Cummings: Well, I got my 25m badge when I was a kid! My mum and dad took me to the pool growing up and I like to think I took to the water pretty well as a kid, but not so much as a teenager! Sport for me was more about keeping fit. I was a keen footballer and used to play most sports but didn\u2019t excel in any particular. I did everything from swimming, to cricket to football.<\/p>\n

When I joined the army we had to do our military swim test which was to jump off the 5m board in full rig and then swim to the end and back again \u2013 not too far. It was more when I got injured and taken to Headley Court [the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre] that I went back to the pool. Obviously I couldn\u2019t run any more, so it was really good exercise for me to start swimming and burn off some calories.<\/p>\n

Headley Court was great because they offered me a whole range of disabled sports from swimming to wheelchair basketball. I also learned to handbike and I try to go out at least three or four times a week \u2013 weather permitting in England!<\/p>\n

220: How important was swimming in your recovery?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jack: It\u2019s been a huge part of my rehab. Otherwise I\u2019d have been just sat on the sofa watching Jeremy Kyle or something \u2013 it\u2019s got me out and I\u2019ve lost a load of weight. I was in a coma for a month so I lost everything in terms of muscle. I went from an able-bodied lad to a skeleton basically \u2013 and the doctors and nurses panicked and kept telling me I needed to eat, so I put on a load of weight!<\/p>\n

We had the hydropool at Headley Court which was a small pool where I started. It was about finding that balance point again first because obviously I lost both legs above the knee, but for some reason I float better now! Yeah, it was all about starting from scratch though.<\/p>\n

It took a while to get into it and I had to build up the distance starting with a couple of lengths at first \u2013 but by the time I left Headley I was up to a mile, which I was really happy with.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

220 Triathlon\u2019s Editor Helen Webster chats to Jack Cummings about ahead of this year\u2019s Victory Swim<\/em><\/p>\n

220: How did you get involved in the Invictus Games?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jack: The letter from Invictus came and I spoke to my wife Sarah and she said \u2018go for it!\u2019. I went for swimming and archery. I\u2019m not really an archer though, more a swimmer! I did 50m free and 50m breaststroke and got bronze in the breaststroke.<\/p>\n

The Invictus Games gave me an aim. I never gave up, it\u2019s just I didn\u2019t have anything to aim for and Invictus gave me the motivation to go for something. It was great watching the guys from previous years and I thought well if they can do it, then I can do it too! They inspired me and I hope I can do the same for others.<\/p>\n

I swim in the local pool with the old girls in the morning and they always say hello and cheer me on. I feel like I\u2019m able-bodied again because I\u2019m zooming past everyone. It\u2019s great, it keeps me focussed. I\u2019m up at 5:30am every day, do an hour in the gym from 6am and then I\u2019m in the pool from 7am.<\/p>\n

The lake is a brand new environment for me! I\u2019m doing 1500m today\u2026 Go big or go home! I\u2019ll switch between front crawl and breaststroke.<\/p>\n

220: What next? Have you been tempted to pursue Paratriathlon?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jack: I don\u2019t think so! I did the Royal Marines Rehab Tri with Joe Townsend and he blew me out of the water! It was great to see him go from where he was to being an elite \u2013 that takes a different type of dedication. Joe is absolutely amazing. He\u2019s the marine machine!<\/p>\n

I\u2019m on the reserve list for the next Invictus Games. Hopefully I\u2019ll get called up. I wouldn\u2019t rule out doing another triathlon too, maybe a half-Ironman, something like that. Like I said, I do the handbike already so I\u2019ve got two out of three \u2013 and I\u2019m used to pushing a wheelchair so that\u2019s doable as the third!<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

<\/em><\/p>\n

Jack Cummings exists the water after the 1500m Victory Swim. Image: Jo\u2019s Photos https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/memoriesforsharing\/posts\/<\/em><\/p>\n

220: How has the Felix Fund helped you?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jack: The Felix Fund is a bomb disposal charity. I was part of a search team, so searching for bombs and IEDs. If we found one, then they\u2019d come and snip the wire and defuse the bomb. The Felix Fund have done loads to support me and my wife \u2013 we\u2019ve been to events such as carol services and they\u2019ve supported us financially too, by buying a load of adapted furniture for our house, so they\u2019ve looked after us that way as well. They\u2019re not a huge charity, but they\u2019re always in touch and looking after us.<\/p>\n

As well as last week\u2019s Victory Swim, the Felix Fund host a series of sporting challenges triathletes can get involved in, spearheaded by ammunition technician Captain James Wadsworth<\/strong> who counts the Rat Race series, Ironmans, the Marathon de Sables, Land\u2019s End to John O\u2019Groats on a bike and other endurance events amongst his fundraising achievements.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

<\/em><\/p>\n

220\u2019s Editor at the Victory Swim with Captain James Wadsworth, who next year will attempt the Channel Swim amongst other endurance challenges to raise funds and awareness for the Felix Fund.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

We asked Captain Wadsworth what\u2019s next: \u201cI\u2019m building up to 2019 at the moment. Between the 4-8th June we are doing the Castle Cycle Ride from Edinburgh, via Windsor to Cardiff. Following that I\u2019m doing the Frankfurt Ironman, then I\u2019ve got a small break before the Channel Swim attempt from 13-19th September, which is daunting right now! After that we\u2019ve got a running event on 12th October which is open to anyone of any ability from 5km to 100km. Halfway through September (date TBC) will be our Felix Festival, where we pitch a big tent in the middle of nowhere and you can come along and enjoy a beer and some good food and music!<\/p>\n

\u201cFelix Fund supports the IED community and I\u2019ve worked within this area for my whole career. Around the time of Northern Ireland but also of Iraq and Afghanistan I was operating in those countries and I lost friends who were killed in those operations and I had friends and colleagues that were injured. We now have people who are still suffering with mental and physical injuries and while I am still (relatively!) able-bodied I want to raise money and awareness so I do as many events as I can and encourage others to join me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Advertisement<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Find out more about the Felix Fund here and get involved with the sporting challenge events organised by Captain James Wadsworth here.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/section>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tClick Here: new zealand blues jersey<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When you\u2019re given the chance to meet and swim with a bronze-medalist, you\u2019d be daft to turn it down. Jack Cummings isn\u2019t your average swimmer, though. After losing both his legs above the knee while working as a Bomb Disposal Officer in Afghanistan, swimming gave him a focus for his physical rehab, while the Invictus…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7505","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/googmn.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7505","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/googmn.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/googmn.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/googmn.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/googmn.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7505"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/googmn.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7505\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/googmn.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7505"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/googmn.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7505"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/googmn.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7505"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}