A former British Army Sergeant from has seen his life turned upside down after being handed the opportunity to represent Team UK at the 2018 Invictus Games.

After leaving the military, John Hill felt lost, confused and missing the belonging that the military provided throughout his career.

Without a goal in his day-to-day life, the 49-year-old was stuck in a routine and needed a spark to reignite his passion for sport.

But when an ex-military colleague continued to pester the father to sign up for the 2018 Invictus Games presented by Jaguar Land Rover, Hill eventually caved in – a decision he regrets not doing earlier.

Now he is just a few weeks’ away from competition in Sydney, a moment all his preparations have been gearing towards.

“I have been into fitness all my life and I was into fitness before I joined the military,” said Hill, speaking at 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.

“I thought I was not good enough. Since I got out I started doubting myself because in the military you live with that ethos that it’s all about winning.

“You never thought that it doesn’t matter where I come, it doesn’t work like that in the military.

“In the army you have always got a sense of belonging that you do lose when you leave.

“Every day in the army there’s a goal to reach at the end of the day. You leave the army and your goal becomes get up, go to work, go the gym and go home.

“That goal becomes distant, so you can’t see it anymore. I’ve now got a sense of achievement at the end of this journey.

“I didn’t even consider participating and my friend Paul Bennett kept on going on at me. He literally gripped me and said ‘just fill the form in.’ I said ‘if it shuts you up I will fill it in.’”

After finally sending in the forms, the railway quality engineer has opted to compete in indoor rowing and powerlifting at the fourth Invictus Games in Sydney, starting on October 20.

Now Hill is hoping his sporting endeavours are just the first step in his journey to work towards a goal and inspire his son to get active again.

“I just want to do well for myself and allowed me to participate in sports now and not be worried really where I come,” he added.

“As long as I put in as much effort in as I can, that’s me winning. That’s what it’s all about and it’s created that path for me.

“This now is not about looking back, I don’t really talk about the military any more, it’s long gone for me. I am just trying to move forward with new steps. This is the first big new step for me.

“When I told my son that I was going to the Invictus Games and I wanted him to come, the next day he said I am back in the gym. It gave me that extra buzz to inspire him into sport again.

“When he sees the atmosphere that Invictus creates, hopefully it inspires him to get back into the gym and fall back in love with sport.”

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.