Jaco van Gass

Started: He began Para cycling in 2013. (bbc.com, 29 Jan 2020) Reason: He played rugby as a child in South Africa, and initially took up cycling as a form for therapy after he suffered a knee injury. He used a watt bike as part of his recovery from the injuries he sustained in 2009 and was inspired to take up Para cycling after watching the 2012 Paralympic Games in London. "It took me a good month-and-a-half to figure out more the mental side of it. And then you realise that something happens for a reason. The one thing that I was kind of drawn to was getting back on a bike. The movement of cycling and pedalling [even with] the injuries sustained in my leg, was very good. I was starting to think, 'How can I take this outside?' It was the London Paralympics that really inspired me. I lived in London at the time and I went to quite a few of the events. And I was just so amazed. I was sitting in the crowds looking at these athletes performing [whom] you know so well and it's such a high level, and then seeing the crowd behind me and how inspiring it was, that [was the moment] I decided I wanted to be part of that. That's something I want to do. I want to be on the field and not in the stand anymore." (tokyo2020.org, 25 Feb 2021; bbc.com, 29 Jan 2020) Ambition: To compete at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. (mirror.co.uk, 20 Dec 2022) Awards: He was named Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire [MBE] in the 2022 New Year's Honours list. (motorfinityleasing.co.uk, 10 Feb 2022) Additional Info: FROM SOUTH AFRICA TO ENGLAND At age 20 he emigrated from South Africa to England to join the British Armed Forces. In 2007 he completed his training and he joined the parachute regiment of the British Army. His military career came to an end in 2009 due to the injuries he sustained in a rocket propelled grenade [RPG] attack. "I'm very grateful to have survived the injuries that I sustained and I apply that outlook to my life every day." (jacovangass.com, 12 Feb 2020; bbc.com, 29 Jan 2020) ADVENTURER In 2011 he took part in a charity trek to the North Pole as part of a four-man expedition in aid of Walking With The Wounded. They completed the 190-mile trek in 13 days. An accomplished mountain climber, he attempted to reach the summit of Mount Everest in 2012 only for bad weather to cut the climb short. In 2013 he summitted Mount McKinley in Alaska, United States of America, and in 2017 he climbed Mount Aconcagua in Argentina. "It keeps me active and busy and it keeps me fit, and if I'm quite focused on something, I don't have time to think about all the other stuff. I guess you could call it part of a coping mechanism. It's certainly driven me to become a better person." (bbc.com, 29 Jan 2020; jacovangass.com, 18 Nov 2019) BOOK In 2022 he released a book called 'Jaco van Gass: Unequivocal - My Story', which documents his life as a soldier, how he sustained his impairment, and becoming an athlete. (mirror.co.uk, 20 Dec 2022; jacovangass.com, 25 Sep 2022)