Back on the bike: Army athlete taking on RideLondon to give back to Invictus movement
Five years ago this week, Army Staff Sergeant Jonny Ball suffered a life-changing motorbike accident which led to his leg being reconstructed.
In the time since his injury, he has undergone years of physical recovery including seven operations to reconstruct his leg and foot.
By 2023, he was able to represent Team UK at the Invictus Games captaining the rowing team and picking up a bronze medal in powerlifting.
As a way of giving back to the foundation, that has "given (him) and his family so much", he will be back on two wheels on Sunday, riding 100 miles in the festival of cycling event RideLondon.
This is not the first time the staff sergeant has taken on the famous cycling event, but it is the first time since his injury.
Speaking to Forces News, SSgt Ball said: "The reason I'm doing Ride 100 is because it is a huge challenge. The nature of my trauma and my injury was on two wheels on a motorcycle.
"To get back on the road and take on a challenge like Ride 100 is both a physical challenge for 100 miles but also a psychological challenge to overcome."
Significant anniversary
The Invictus Games athlete detailed the importance of getting back on the bike and noted the significance of the anniversary of his accident coinciding with the event.
"Five years on from my accident, I was told I wasn't going to be able to do many things, things that I had enjoyed doing previously, cycling, running, the gym, playing rugby and snowboarding.
"Some of the things I've had to adapt and overcome, particularly in the realms of things like winter sports. And with cycling, I've had to approach it differently," he said.
"The power of community has brought me together, to give me that support to get me back on the bike, which has been really important, not just because I used to enjoy putting on the Lycra and getting out there on the road before, and the ability to compete for my country at the Invictus Games."
He added: "But the real importance of this is about sharing cycling with my little girl, who's just hit four, learning how to ride a bike and I can tell you now that getting out there for the first time with my little girl on our bikes is something that is very special to me and that is what Invictus has given me and that is why I am doing these cycling challenges."
Invictus family 'here to stay'
Earlier this month, SSgt Ball attended a service of thanksgiving at London's St Paul's Cathedral for the 10th anniversary of the international sporting event – founded by the Duke of Sussex in 2014 for injured and sick military personnel and veterans after he was inspired watching the US Warrior Games.
"The Invictus family extends beyond our shores," SSgt Ball said. "Our families have been made to feel very much part of the Invictus family.
"I think once it's in your blood it will never leave you and when we get together we have this 'unspokenness' which transcends cultural differences and language barriers.
"To embrace someone from another nation as we did so many times during the Invictus Games itself is a truly special human connection and I think that what Prince Harry has done to bring this movement together, this global movement together, is here to stay and has changed how the whole world views veterans."
SSgt Ball noted how "special" the 10th anniversary of Invictus Games service at St Paul's, a "national symbol of resilience, it survived bombings and the Biltz".
He added: "There was no better place to house resilience and fill it with people with so much resilience running through their veins.
"There was the great and the good there, and of course great to see Prince Harry up there doing a reading, as a leader of this movement."
However, he remarked that perhaps even more special "was the bit beforehand where we met up in a pub".
He added: "It was a truly special moment for us before we then put our best bib and tucker on, put our medals on our chest and we walked together, as a family to that national symbol of resilience St Paul's and share that almost spiritual moment together."
The Invictus family has extended further ahead of the RideLondon event with a Whatsapp group being created for anyone representing the foundation at the event, sharing tips and tricks.
"I've relied on the support of my teammates to get me back on the bike, to give me that confidence to get back on," SSgt Ball says.
He added: "They've all been there in abundance. It's not something that just ends when the closing ceremony happens in Düsseldorf. It continues in our daily lives.
"That is the magic and power of this Invictus community because it stays with us."
Ahead of the ride on Sunday, SSgt Ball said he would be "kidding himself" if he said he was not anxious.
"This is the first time I have done this long of a ride, let alone RideLondon, post-injury.
"Because I have a double lower limb impairment with a rebuilt foot and a quad missing from where they rebuilt my limb, there is some anxiety about how my body might perform over such a long distance.
"But there is also an anxiety about how my mind might perform. Will I find so many people cycling around me a challenge? I think I probably will, which is why it is so important to not do these things alone.
"That resilience you get from others, a community and already we are planning how we will ride together.
"Our coach Ryan from the Royal British Legion, described it as an extended fun ride out, it's not a race, and that will give me the confidence to take on this challenge."
The Army reservist hopes that taking on this challenge will help spread that "Invictus magic" and inspire others.
"What's important is how we carry this amazing brand and this experience it has on us and our families and spread that in our wider communities.
"It doesn't have to be something as spectacular as Invictus, it can be really simple, a simple small achievement you can do with your recovery.
"There's definitely something for you, you just have to find it, and take every opportunity you can to recover. So many people feel the benefit, not just you but your family and your community too."
To support Jonny on his ride donations can be made here and his progress can be followed on his X page @jonnyball79.
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