Navy veteran Paul Guest spent a decade unable to leave his house, suffered from PTSD, and even tried to take his own life when at his lowest ebb.

But with the support of Help for Heroes, the 54-year-old from Kirby-le-Soken – who spent nearly 20 years in the Royal Navy before being medically discharged – is set to appear in his second Invictus Games this month.

Requiring 24-hour care from wife Michelle due to neck and spine injuries, Guest locked himself into his bedroom and piled on weight, but he has since turned the corner.

Last year he was part of the UK team in Toronto for the Invictus Games presented by Jaguar Land Rover – an international adaptive multi-sport event, created by Prince Harry, for wounded, injured or sick armed services personnel.

And he returns this year to continue a journey that has helped him transform his life.

“The Invictus Games is a lifeline for me, something for me to aim for and to help me keep on pushing and aiming forward in my life,” said Guest, who was competing in the Jaguar Land Rover Driving Challenge, where Invictus Games competitors had the opportunity to be selected to represent their nation in the event in Sydney.

“It’s given me confidence, focal points to forget my past and all my terrors, I suffer from PTSD as well as my physical disabilities and so I have panic attacks and flashbacks.

“But the sport and the camaraderie of the whole team gives me a focal point, I have something strive with.

“I competed in Toronto last year, that was the start of my Invictus Games journey. I hadn’t come out of my house for ten years and locked myself in my bedroom, I wouldn’t come out of that room.

“Getting involved with Help for Heroes gave me something to come out for, I was 24 stone and I came right down to ten stone, through training and improving, and then I took on more sports this year which helped me to train more.

“I tried to take my own life and it was at that point where I had people talk to me, I had counsellors come and explain to me about my family and that I’d be leaving people behind, and I then needed to find a way of stopping those thoughts and feeling ashamed of myself all the time.

“It was at that point when my friends came round and said they were getting me involved, that was the turning point for me with Help for Heroes. After having my first chats with them, that was my moment.”

Guest is a striking figure with his heavily-tattooed face, including an Invictus Games design following last year’s event where he competed in wheelchair basketball.

He will be back again this year for the event in Sydney, this time having been selected shot put, discus, 400m, 1500m, tennis, archery and powerlifting, as well as basketball.

And having already had a taste of sport in Australia, Guest cannot wait to head Down Under for the event which begins on October 20.

He added: “I only did basketball last time, this year I entered into nine different sports.

“Preparation is going well, the team spirit this year is amazing and the whole 72 is together, there are no individual teams inside the big group.

“Everyone has come together and supported each other, all of us here are from all different aspects of the Games and we’re all supporting one and other which is really good.

“I’ve been to Australia a few times, I’ve done the Australian marathon, the Sydney marathon and Perth marathon, they were tough out there – it’s quite warm.

“The people over there are amazing however, the atmosphere is so great and people are very open and laid-back, you just go over there and get on with it.”

Jaguar Land Rover is the Presenting Partner of the Invictus Games, which takes place in Sydney, Australia from the 20th to 27th of October 2018. Jaguar Land Rover is using this year’s Invictus Games to lead and inform the debate on future mobility, and how its future technology could help people’s lives.