Okehampton cyclist Andrew White is flying out to Sydney on Monday to compete in the Invictus Games after triumphing last year in the cycling. With World Mental Health Day on Wednesday, October 10, he told Sarah Pitt how cycling and the comradeship of Okehampton Cycling Club pulled him out of depression after being invalided out of the army.

ANDREW White remembers well the day he learned his army career was over. He’d joined the Coldstream Guards at the age of 18 and for four years loved the life. He had just been promoted to Lance Corporal and returned from a tour of Afghanistan. But a severe non-freezing cold injury to his feet — ‘frostbite’ of the nerves which made walking impossibly painful — left him unable to continue serving as a soldier.

He was medically discharged and came back to his family in Okehampton. He was only 22 and his dream career was over.

‘When I was first injured, I was told to stay at home to recover,’ he said. ‘If I walked any distance at all it was really painful. The stairs were a massive issue. It all spiralled from there. I suffered from massive depression. I was getting married, my last time wearing my uniform was at my wedding and I realised I had to pick my life up. Then someone suggested I try cycling as a way of keeping fit.’

It has been cycling, first on a stationary bike, then out in the countryside around Okehampton, which has pulled him out of a dark place. And it was discovering the Okehampton Cycling Club which really turned his life around.

‘Running was what I used to do, especially in the army but I couldn’t do that anymore,’ he said. ‘With cycling, though, it became much easier, because my feet were clipped into the pedals and it was a lot more about what I was doing with my legs.

‘Cycling really has massively helped and as for the guys in the Okehampton Cycling Club, I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for them. They were brilliant. They welcomed me into the club and brought me up as one of their own.’

Through the club he met cyclist and professional coach Nigel Hale-Hunter.

‘He’s coached me ever since and I’ve not really looked back,’ said Andrew, now 24. ‘I think cycling is massively underrated as a recovery sport.’

The idea for taking part in the Invictus Games came from a female coach on a recovery course he went on after being invalided out of the army, who saw him watching cycling on his smartphone. ‘She said “you’re obviously interested in cycling, why don’t you go in for the Invictus Games?”.’

And so, in September last year, Andrew did just that, flying to Canada with his wife Holly and coach Nigel to take part, after months of training. The games, dreamt up by Prince Harry, are aimed at wounded, injured and sick army services personnel and veterans. Andrew took part in the speed trial and the criterium and came home with two medals, a gold and a silver.

He came home to Okehampton to a hero’s welcome, including a party thrown by the community. Now, a year later, he’s preparing to fly out to Sydney, Australia, to take part in the games for a second time. He’ll be cycling in a speed trial, a race against the clock, and a criterium as part of a GB team of four.

‘I’m obviously super happy to be reselected but the pressure is definitely there, which is both a good thing and a bad thing, but I’m really looking forward to going. I know I’m definitely stronger this year but obviously I don’t know how I’ll do. That all depends on the competition.’

Either way, he says cycling will remain part of his life. ‘The best way I can describe it is that as soon as I put my helmet on and I go out on my bike I’m transported to a different world.

‘It doesn’t matter what happened in the past, it is just about me and riding my bike.

‘It is something I have really enjoyed ever since I started with Okehampton Cycling Club.

‘As a local club, I couldn’t have asked for anything more and Nigel Hale-Hunter has been my knight in shining armour.’

The Invictus Games runs from October 20-27, with 500 competitors from 18 nations taking part.