Unbroken - Martine Wright a Volleyball Hero.

Following the elation of the announcement of the 2012 Olympic Games coming to London it was followed by the horror of the London Bombings which took place exactly 15 years ago today, the 7th of July 2005,

London was shocked by a series of coordinated bombings across the city. The bombers had targeted commuters travelling on the city transport during the morning rush hour. The three homemade bombs were detonated in quick succession aboard underground trains and later, a fourth on a double-decker bus in Tavistock Square. The train bombings occurred on the Circle line near Aldgate and at Edgware Road and on the Piccadilly Line near Russell Square.  

Apart from the bombers, 52 UK residents of 18 different nationalities were killed and more than 700 were injured in the attacks.

Janet Inman remembers the day, “ I was at a 2 day Sport England training event at Bisham Abbey National Sports Centre, the previous day, in the company of the GB rowing team, we had celebrated the London announcement with champagne and party poppers. The following day, whist in the middle of the session phones started ringing all round the room. A double decker bus had exploded right outside the Sport England office in Tavistock Square and Sport England were calling all their staff to ensure they were all safe. The elation of the previous day was gone and our thoughts and prayers went out to those who had been killed and their families.”

One person on the Circle Line that day was Martin Wright, she lost both legs that day but considers herself a lucky woman with a whole new life of opportunities.

Martine has since rebuilt her life, skydived, earned her pilot’s license, become a wife, become a mother, become captain of the British Paralympic Sitting volleyball team, charity ambassador,mentor to patients, Patron and an inspirational and motivational speaker.

Since competing for Great Britain at the London 2012 Paralympics, Martine has gone on to present high-profile sporting events on the BBC and Channel 4, including the Paralympics and Invictus Games, and was a roving reporter at the 2016 Paralympics in Rio. She is the Helen Rollason award winner at Sports Personality of the Year 2012 and last year was awarded an MBE for her services to sport and work as a role model for amputee athletes.

Now, whilst playing sport, Martine wears her lucky number 7 with pride, transforming what happened into a positive and a clear and meaningful sign of her rehabilitation, and also in memory of those who lost their lives. By coincidence, Martine did her Paralympic training at sports facilities facing the hospitals she spent a year in, furthering her belief that she was always meant to make this remarkable journey.

I hope Martine knows what an inspiration she is to everyone in our sport. Read her story in her book

Thank you Martine.