After months of training at the University of Bath, Trowbridge-based Army veteran Kelly Ganfield will once again proudly represent her country when she competes at the Invictus Games in Toronto, Canada this month.

The 36-year-old, who is visually impaired and suffers from epilepsy, has been selected in a 90-strong British team and will compete in both athletics and rowing.

“Invictus is my way of being part of something again and representing my country again,” said Ganfield.

“This kind of opportunity doesn’t come along easily and, to be honest, I’ve been blown away by the whole experience so far.

“I’m a runner and footballer really but I gave rowing a go at the trials and they said I was pretty good at it.

“I’ve also been selected for discus – I’m not sure how that has come about but I’ll give it my best shot because this is for my country.”

It was the desire to represent her country that motivated Ganfield to join the Army in 1998. She served in Northern Ireland for nearly four years and was ready for deployment to Iraq when she developed Antiphospholipid syndrome, a rare blood condition that caused two strokes and left her with epilepsy, a heart condition and visual impairment.

After being medically discharged in 2005, Ganfield spent more than two years in hospital and nine months at Headley Court, the British Armed Forces’ rehabilitation centre, before slowly rebuilding her life.