'Wow I have actually won medals' - former Shropshire RAF welfare officer on winning two Invictus Games medals

The 46-year-old earned her medals in the four-minute endurance and one-minute sprint events - almost 12 years to the day since a traumatic experience in Scotland which changed her life forever.

Joanne, who is originally from Northern Ireland and joined the RAF aged 19, was based in Shawbury and Cosford before she moved to Newport. In 2013 she and her team got caught in an avalanche during a winter skills course.

Three people lost their lives and Joanne has had to deal with PTSD since. 

But, 12 years later, Joanne celebrated her official final day as part of the RAF by winning two medals at the Invictus Games - beaten to gold twice by teammate Mina Endeley - which she is extremely proud of.

Asked how she was feeling after claiming her silver medals, Joanna said: "Giddy, relieved, contentment.

"I am grateful. It is a bit more of a ‘few’ moment in some ways. It does make me think ‘wow I have actually won medals’.

"It closes it all up and encapsulates it. We only really started rowing taster sessions in April last year.

"It’s been a difficult year. It’s the keep going part and that is such a big lesson, that just ‘don’t stop’.

"It was a great honour and a fantastic experience. The build-up is a fantastic experience in itself, it is quite a recovery pathway and I would love to see as many people as possible access it, and try.

"I am very proud, yes. I am glad I have done it."

Joanne also competed in alpine skiing events at the games before going onto have success in the indoor rowing.

"The alpine skiing is what attracted me to the Invictus Games in the first place because of my history, and that was very much about taking part, that was good enough for me," Joanne continued.

"To actually be there and be comfortable and happy, and take part in a ski race. If you had asked me that 12 years ago I would have never ever contemplated it in my wildest dreams.

"It is very hard to translate how brutal and massive an avalanche is, how fast it is, it sets like concrete. I don’t think there are many words to describe it.

"The anniversary has been difficult in the past, it has been a mixture of emotions, a cocktail. You are doing the respect, the emotion, but you are also aware of the guilt, it has a lot of emotion attached.

"But, this year I was just happy to exist whether it was positive or negative, and to be embraced by a team."

The 46-year-old has spent the past week in the USA, skiing with friends and enjoying more time on the snow.

Joanne also said that she plans to offer her medals to The Battle Back Centre in Lilleshall, near where she lives.

Speaking on her lengthy career in the RAF, during which she has delivered welfare services and supported people who are in similar situations to herself, Joanne added: " I think being part of Invictus overshadows leaving. It is a very positive emotion, there hasn’t been any reality of leaving yet so I haven’t quite got the panic because I have been in such a nurturing environment."

And, in a final message encouraging others to take part in the games, Joanne said: "People shouldn’t rule themselves out. It isn’t just about the wounded, the sick and injured, it is about people with day-to-day illnesses as well."