Hereford veteran who's "terrified of water" to swim for the UK at Invictus Games
A FORMER Royal Air Force veteran from Hereford who's "terrified of water" has been selected to swim for the UK at the Invictus Games in Canada next month.
Natasha Verrall-Bhasin, 41, who lives in Hereford, did tours of Iraq and Afghanistan before leaving service and was later diagnosed with complex PTSD.
Ms Verrall-Bhasin, who dropped out of college at 17 to serve her country, worked in a highly specialised role, assisting RAF surgeons in theatre and helping to recover patients.
She has left her medical career to become a wedding celebrant but says the scars of service remain.
“Although I am happy in my work life now, the demons are always there, and I don’t want to live like this,” she said.
“I want to be in a position where I’m more capable and more able to cope. PTSD is invisible and so often missed by the military. Some days I can’t get out of bed, and I don’t know why.”
In addition to swimming, Ms Verrall-Bhasin will take part in wheelchair curling and alpine skiing in Canada.
ALSO READ:
“I can’t swim – in fact, I am terrified of water – but if I can crack this, I can crack anything," she said.
“I also want to swim for my little boy, because I can’t get in the water with him on holiday and my anxiety was rubbing off on him.
"I need to beat the voice in my head that keeps telling me I can’t do it. I avoid the pool normally, but now I want to face that fear and beat my stupid brain.
"My selection is bitter-sweet, it’s an acknowledgement that there is something wrong with me, that I am poorly enough to be eligible for this process, but it’s also a chance to do something I would never otherwise be able to do."
“It’s definitely not about medals – success for me will be jumping in that pool, swimming without sinking and getting to the end. When I look at the person that started out in the military, I want to be that person again – fit, healthy, motivated and happy.”
