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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Injured soldier completes sea row | Injured soldier completes sea row |
| (about 19 hours later) | |
| A soldier who was told he would never walk again has succeeded in his bid to row across the English Channel. | A soldier who was told he would never walk again has succeeded in his bid to row across the English Channel. |
| Major Phil Packer, 36, arrived in Calais at 1530 GMT, almost a year to the day after he was injured in a rocket attack in Basra. | Major Phil Packer, 36, arrived in Calais at 1530 GMT, almost a year to the day after he was injured in a rocket attack in Basra. |
| Maj Packer, from Westminster, left Folkestone on Friday night with adventurer Alastair Humphreys. Their 30 mile (48km) feat took about 15 hours. | |
| Speaking after his arrival he said "I'm really happy, just very, very happy." | Speaking after his arrival he said "I'm really happy, just very, very happy." |
| He said he had been left "knackered" after the crossing. | He said he had been left "knackered" after the crossing. |
| 'Debt of gratitude' | 'Debt of gratitude' |
| "It was quite windy last night, but we wore lots of layers to keep us warm," he said. | |
| "The main thing was trying to keep out of the way of the big tankers, they came pretty close." | |
| After his row, he hitched a lift back to the UK on a boat with news crews and said the first thing he was going to do when he got home was "have a hot bath and relax, then go to bed". | After his row, he hitched a lift back to the UK on a boat with news crews and said the first thing he was going to do when he got home was "have a hot bath and relax, then go to bed". |
| He added: "I'm very happy and relieved but tired. My rowing partner has been fantastic, I owe him a huge debt of gratitude." | He added: "I'm very happy and relieved but tired. My rowing partner has been fantastic, I owe him a huge debt of gratitude." |
| It was the first in a series of challenges Maj Packer, who lives in Westminster, is taking on to raise £1m for the Help for Heroes charity, which supports those who have been wounded in Britain's current conflicts. | It was the first in a series of challenges Maj Packer, who lives in Westminster, is taking on to raise £1m for the Help for Heroes charity, which supports those who have been wounded in Britain's current conflicts. |
| He is returning to Headley Court, the armed forces rehabilitation centre in Leatherhead, for treatment, but plans to complete the London Marathon in two weeks on crutches, and also climb El Capitan, a 3,000ft rock formation in the US. | He is returning to Headley Court, the armed forces rehabilitation centre in Leatherhead, for treatment, but plans to complete the London Marathon in two weeks on crutches, and also climb El Capitan, a 3,000ft rock formation in the US. |
| Maj Packer, who served with the Royal Military Police, was injured on 19 February last year in Basra. He was hit by a vehicle and dragged underneath it during an incident that followed a rocket attack. | Maj Packer, who served with the Royal Military Police, was injured on 19 February last year in Basra. He was hit by a vehicle and dragged underneath it during an incident that followed a rocket attack. |
| He suffered a bruised heart and damage to his ribs and chest and became a complete paraplegic, losing the motor and sensory use of his legs. As a result of his injuries he was told he would never walk again. | He suffered a bruised heart and damage to his ribs and chest and became a complete paraplegic, losing the motor and sensory use of his legs. As a result of his injuries he was told he would never walk again. |
| Return to work | Return to work |
| Almost a year later, Maj Packer, who remains a serving army officer, has regained some feeling in his legs and is determined to walk once more. | Almost a year later, Maj Packer, who remains a serving army officer, has regained some feeling in his legs and is determined to walk once more. |
| So far his appeal, run through his website, has raised £155,000, with a further £35,000 due to be added from an event organised last Christmas.Major Packer is raising money for injured soldiers | So far his appeal, run through his website, has raised £155,000, with a further £35,000 due to be added from an event organised last Christmas.Major Packer is raising money for injured soldiers |
| Maj Packer, who has also served in Bosnia, Kosovo and Northern Ireland, is hoping to return to work later in the year. | Maj Packer, who has also served in Bosnia, Kosovo and Northern Ireland, is hoping to return to work later in the year. |
| His rowing companion Mr Humphreys, 32, from Clapham, south London, previously spent four years cycling round the world, has written two books and run the Marathon des Sables, a six-day endurance race across the Sahara desert. | His rowing companion Mr Humphreys, 32, from Clapham, south London, previously spent four years cycling round the world, has written two books and run the Marathon des Sables, a six-day endurance race across the Sahara desert. |
| The pair only began training together for their rowing challenge at the start of this month. | The pair only began training together for their rowing challenge at the start of this month. |