Any sportsperson will tell you that representing their country is an honour, but for me as a blind archer, pulling on the Great Britain jersey meant the absolute world.
It’s the culmination of realising a long-term ambition ever since I was a victim of a life-changing event 22 years ago.
In December 2000, while serving as a soldier in the British Army, I was blinded in an unprovoked attack.
I was in a coma for six days with various facial injuries and when I woke up, I couldn’t see anything. I was like a scared child – I couldn’t tie my shoelaces or make a cup of tea. I couldn’t do anything.
My main worry was the financial security of my family. Now I was blind, my career as a soldier was over.
The journey to get to where I am today has been challenging, but arriving at a charity called Blind Veterans UK (formerly St Dunstan’s) was the best thing that could have happened to me.
I had never heard of the charity before being blinded, but was put in touch with them while in hospital. I stayed at their main rehabilitation centre in Ovingdean, near Brighton, for a period of six months, only going home every other weekend to see my family.
They taught me how to live again, giving me skills such as using a computer, learning to count money and how to understand which bank notes were which.
I learned to iron and cook safely with equipment such as a liquid level indicator so I could fill cups and pans without spilling, and a white cane to help me become more mobile.
Most importantly, the charity helped me adapt to my blindness, accept who I was and encouraged me to reintegrate into my local community.
It was at this point in 2001 that I was introduced to archery.
I wasn’t really sporty before. In fact, when I was encouraged to try archery, I laughed. A blind person with a bow and arrow seemed quite funny to me, but I thought why not give it a go?
There were so many sports that I had tried beforehand – but it turned out none were as therapeutic as archery.
I suffer from PTSD, and the relaxing feeling that I get when I am shooting is phenomenal.
I soon signed up to British Blind Sport’s archery section, and have regularly practised with my spotter at least two hours a week since then.
My spotter will tell me where my arrow has fallen, and I do a lot of visualisation work with them to improve my game – this process has been key to helping me reach the level I am at now.
Archery has opened so many doors for me. Not only has it enabled me to form a wonderful circle of friends, the sport has helped me to adapt and it’s made me and my family stronger.
Before, my mental health was getting worse. But archery relaxes me, and it has given me the social skills that I lost after being blinded. That has helped us as a family, too.
I also met the now Prince of Wales back in 2010 where I shot a few arrows with him. He was very kind, supportive and was extremely interested in archery and how a blind person is able to shoot.
When I stepped out in Rome last year to represent Great Britain at the European Para-Archery Championships, it was an extra special moment for me, and a reminder of how far I had come.
It was time for me to savour every moment. I remember there being lots of laughing in the build-up to the tournament, and rightly so. This was a happy time after many years of training for this moment.
There was a wonderful atmosphere in Rome. I shot my personal best, and in between the shooting the atmosphere was electric – the noise really made a difference and added to the enjoyment when competing and spectating.
Competing in this elite environment will only benefit me going forward as I prepare to compete on home soil this August at the 2023 IBSA World Games.
My hope is that I shoot well and improve at every competition. I believe that it’s every blind and partially sighted archer’s ambition to shoot at the biggest competition that they can.
I have also organised and shot against the Tri Service on the lawns of Buckingham Palace, the moat of HM Tower of London and at Windsor Castle.
These are moments that I will treasure forever.
Alongside archery, I am an active freemason, and I love raising money for others, and to date I’ve raised over £105,000 for different charities, whether it’s organising pub quizzes, curry nights or walking challenges.
I hope my story really helps other blind and partially sighted people who want to take up a sport. My advice would be to give sport a go.
What happened to me all those years ago changed my life. Do I like what happened? No. Do I hate or blame the person responsible? No, because it’s given me so many opportunities.
Clive is taking part in the 2023 International Blind Sports Federation (IBSA) World Games, the largest high-level international event for athletes with visual impairment, in Birmingham this August, supported by British Blind Sport, the national disability sport organisation representing blind and partially sighted people in sport.
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