Alistair (Al) Hodgson was injured by an IRA bomb in May 1992 whilst serving as a 21-year-old Paratrooper in Northern Ireland.
The blast took both his legs and shattered his pelvis. Al thought he was a goner but the bomb had only half-exploded – and three brave pals, ignoring the danger, charged in to save him. Fellow Parachute Regiment members Matt Hellyer, Kenny Davidson and Ian ‘Ilch’ Illidge got Al to a helicopter near Cappagh, Co Tyrone.
Since that day, with help from The Soldiers’ Charity, Al has been able to honour his pledge to live life to the full and follow his passion by competing in Skydiving at international level. What started as a rebuilding of his life led to doing one tandem skydive which led to the desire to learn to skydive which would eventually lead to a gold medal at the British National Championships and a bronze at the World Championships in Dubai. Al has gone on to skydive with the Army’s Freefall Display Team, The Red Devils
And now, Al and Matt Hellyer are part of a 10-strong team rowing the Channel, from Poole Harbour to Cherbourg and back, for charity Pilgrim Bandits, which helps injured squaddies.
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Al, 51, of Kendal, Cumbria, said: “Matt and I will be rowing side by side, attempting to set a record. “When I think back to that day, one of the things that stands out and fills me with so much pride was seeing those three boys running towards me, through danger, with the sole intent of keeping me alive.
Claudia – BioMed – Health Care Professional – “I have been treating Al since December 2020. He came to me initially mainly with painful arthritis in his shoulder, caused by overuse. Al also suffers from phantom pain. Over the last eighteen months his condition has responded well to treatments which include bodywork, EGT, acupuncture, bioregulatory-medicine especially PRP (Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy) – a very effective treatment for arthritis in joints and many other physical conditions.
I am delighted to say that his improvement is such that he is now taking on this remarkable latest challenge – rowing – with his team mates – across the English Channel and back. I have great admiration for Al and all that he achieves. He is truly inspirational.”