Cheshire Phoenix star AJ Pingram insists all the hard work put in was worth it after he claimed wheelchair basketball gold at the first ever Invictus Games in London.

Pingram, who plays for Cheshire Phoenix, was a part of the Great Britain team that triumphed 19-9 over the USA in the final at the Copper Box in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

The 38-year-old was initially only planning to attend the Invictus Games, presented by Jaguar Land Rover, as a spectator before then being encouraged to try out for the team.

And, despite all the late nights and early starts in order to go from the stands to the court at the Copper Box, Pingram insisted the positives outweighed those negatives.

“It was amazing and the atmosphere was unbelievable – our coach trained us hard for five months,” said Pingram, a former Marine Engineer.

“We were up at six in the morning playing games on the track until ten o’clock at night. We did the long hours because we were competing to win.

“We weren’t aiming for second place, only gold. The Invictus Games has changed my life, it really has. I had not played sport for 14 years but I applied for Invictus tickets and they asked if I did anything. 

“I had just started playing wheelchair basketball, so I went to trials and I was severely out of my depth. But I pushed hard and trained five days and two mornings a week. I have lost two stone in five months, it’s unbelievable. Life is good.”

The Invictus Games, presented by Jaguar Land Rover, is an international sporting event for wounded, injured and sick service personnel, with more than 400 competitors from over ten nations taking part in nine sports across four days in London.

And with the spotlight well and truly on the Games and using the power of sport to inspire recovery, support rehabilitation and generate a wider understanding and respect of those who serve their country, Pingram, from Llangollen, believes it is only just the start.

“The camaraderie and the banter is really good. We work hard, we play hard,” he added. “Help for Heroes took us out to America to train with the American team so we knew a few of the guys, they’re friends for life. 

“We all have the same issues and wives at home who look after us. To Prince Harry, I’d like to say thank you so much. All your hard work is paying off, let’s take it around the world.”

Jaguar Land Rover is proud to be the presenting partner of the Invictus Games, the international sporting competition for wounded, injured and sick Service personnel. For more information visit  www.jaguar.com  and  www.landrover.com