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British Gurkha Soldier who lost his both legs is wins SPORTS STAR OF YEAR

"I always wanted to run, and I think I was pretty fast when I was in college, but I never had the chance to compete at a higher level when I had my legs. So when I realised I would get running blades one day… well I remember when the doctors came to see me after my surgery and they asked me I had any questions, and I asked: 'when am I going to get my running blades?’" 

Gurkha Rifleman Kushal Limbu, who lost both his legs below the knee in Afghanistan.

Kushal had to have both his legs amputated below the knee when his vehicle struck an IED in Musa Qala on 15 November, 2008. He was one month into his second operational tour of Afghanistan. 

“I didn’t hear the explosion, and didn’t really understand what was going on around me at the time. And when I got to Selly Oak hospital in the UK I was so ill with a fever I didn’t think about if I would walk again, let alone run. It was just a case of would I make it out of the hospital,” recalls the 29 year-old soldier who used to carry 35 kilo weights on his back as he ran up and down the mountain tracks in his hometown Dharan in East Nepal in training to join The Royal Gurkha Rifles. 

“I always wanted to run, and I think I was pretty fast when I was in college, but I never had the chance to compete at a higher level when I had my legs. So when I realised I would get running blades one day… well I remember when the doctors came to see me after my surgery and they asked me I had any questions, and I asked: ‘when am I going to get my running blades?’ 

“The doctor said you are going to get your walking legs first, then running legs. But I was pretty excited actually. It helped having that goal – it diverts your mind from the incident which killed my Colour Sergeant next to me, and gave me something to work towards. It helped my recovery process.”

Ultimate Achievement

It took Kushal a year to be able to walk without the aid of sticks on his prosthetic legs, and a further six months to be fully confident using them, but now he says there is little difference.

“I think I was faster when I had my legs,” says Kushal, whose personal best in the 100 metres is 12.54 seconds and 25.28 seconds for the 200 metres.

“The main difference for me is that when you look at runners on the blocks they use their ankles to push off, and obviously I don’t have them. So I’m slower at the start for the first 20 metres. But after that I catch people up!”

Kushal still has a month to go before he finds out if he is able to compete in the Olympics, but coach, Peter Le Rossignol at the Julie Rose Stadium in Ashford is confident.

“In the T43 (double below the knee amputation) category, Kushal is fourth in the world, but the categories are merged for Paralympics making him in the top 15 to 20. But he is only getting faster, and I expect to see him qualify.”

For Kushal, the chance to compete in the Paralympics would be the ultimate achievement: “To compete at the Paralympics would be an amazing thing – it’s the biggest stage there is, so to be there would make me very proud of myself, and hopefully others will feel proud of me too, from my Battalion, the Army, and my country.

“Obviously I have my disability. I am a disabled person, but this is an opportunity to do something to represent my country. I’m not saying I like being this way, but I have a chance to bring something good out of this disability and to show others what I am capable of. I wouldn’t choose to be like this but I’m not going to let it hold me back.”

Kushal lives with his wife Anjela in Shorncliffe, Kent, and trains with Peter three times a week on the track in Ashford, as well as putting in three sessions a week in the gym.
After rebuilding his life and gaining a set of prosthetic legs, he was last Thursday called Kent's answer to Usain Bolt. Kushal, 30, picked up the sports star of the year award at the Kent Regional News Media Sports Awards 2012 at Eastwell Manor near Ashford.

 The Folkestone resident is now a member of the Ashford Athletics Club. Fellow member and promising pole-vaulter Ellie Gooding, also of Folkestone, was runner-up in the young sports star category as well as picking up the special Eastwell Manor award from the hotel's chairman Turloo Parrett. Stars of the Invicta Valiants Disability football team, stars Nick Smelt, 16, and Matthew Boulding, 14, were winners in the team of the year category. They attend Ashford School and The North School respectively.


 

























 Club: Ashford AC
Gender:Male
DOB:23/06/1982
Group:SEN
Class:T43/F43
County:Kent
Region:South East
Nation:England
Best known performances
EventPB2012201120102009200820072006
608.18i8.18i





10012.07/11.912.07/11.912.80




20024.4124.4126.44




 


2012 SEN Ashford AC
EventPerf


Pos


VenueMeetingDate
608.18i

22.7

Crystal PalaceCrystal Palace Indoor 60m Open21 Mar 12
608.25i

21.7

Crystal PalaceCrystal Palace Indoor 60m Open21 Mar 12
608.44i

22.12

Crystal PalaceCrystal Palace Indoor 60m Open15 Feb 12
608.56i

11.11

Crystal PalaceCrystal Palace Indoor 60m Open15 Feb 12
10011.9


4B

ChelmsfordSouthern Athletics League Division 114 Jul 12
10012.07
-3.2
4Amb

BedfordBedford International Games10 Jun 12
10012.09w2.6
34

Lee ValleyLee Valley Sprint Evening Meeting6 Jun 12
10012.21
-1.7
44

Lee ValleyLee Valley Sprint Evening Meeting20 Jun 12
10012.41
-1.2
17

NewhamNewham & Essex Beagles Outdoor Open Series27 Jun 12
10012.54
0.4
6h2

AshfordKent County Championships12 May 12
10012.72
-1.2
6AMB1

BirminghamEngland Closed Championships (Inc Northern & Midlands Champs)2 Jun 12
10012.8


12ns

SouthamptonSouthern Athletics League Division 119 May 12
10012.95
-0.9
2


KingstonKingston & Poly Open Throws Meeting14 Apr 12
10013.2


3ns

AshfordSouthern Athletics League Division 121 Apr 12
20024.41
0.9
33

Lee ValleyLee Valley Sprint Evening Meeting20 Jun 12
20024.49
-0.8
3Amb

BedfordBedford International Games10 Jun 12
20024.8


3B

ChelmsfordSouthern Athletics League Division 114 Jul 12
20025.16w3.4
23

Lee ValleyLee Valley Sprint Evening Meeting6 Jun 12
20025.28
0.5
2


Olympic ParkVisa London Disability Athletics Challenge8 May 12
20026.0


8ns

SouthamptonSouthern Athletics League Division 119 May 12
20026.47
-2.6
8h2

AshfordKent County Championships13 May 12
20026.8
-0.5
2


KingstonKingston & Poly Open Throws Meeting14 Apr 12
20027.3


2ns

AshfordSouthern Athletics League Division 121 Apr 12


2011 SEN Ashford AC
EventPerf


Pos


VenueMeetingDate
10012.80
0.8




KingsmeadowK&P Open25 Sep 11
10012.83
0.1
6Amb1

BedfordEngland Senior Championships (inc Parallel Success)16 Jul 11
10012.91


22

GillinghamMedway & Maidstone Open25 May 11
10013.3


7ns2

HarrowSouthern Athletics League Division 130 Jul 11
10013.4



ns

AshfordSouthern Athletics League Division 130 Apr 11
10013.47
-2.9




CardiffWelsh Parallel Success19 Jun 11
10013.59
-3.1




NottinghamCP National Championships17 Sep 11
20026.44
0.1




KingsmeadowK&P Open25 Sep 11
20027.23
-0.6




NottinghamCP National Championships18 Sep 11
20028.42
-3.1




CardiffWelsh Parallel Success19 Jun 11

Total Performances: 33

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