Here at muscletricks we hold the armed forces in high regard. Our forces put their life at risk every day they serve.
Mark Smith first came onto our radar via social networks when we saw him compete in the Phil Heath Classic in March of 2015. Mark is a great ambassador for disability bodybuilding and when he applied to be part of our site we simply had to help as much as we could.
Hi Mark can you tell us a little something about your background ?
I served 10 years with the 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards, between 2003-2013, serving in Bosnia, Iraq, Afghanistan, Jamaica, Falkland Islands, Kenya and Canada.
In 2011, whilst training to return to Afghanistan, I was shot several times in Canada whilst on a live firing range. The shots came through a wall and the back of me, hitting my right leg and right shoulder.
The rounds to my leg had hit my artery and so, if it wasn’t for the quick reactions and calmness of the lads around me, I wouldn’t be here, guaranteed. The injuries caused me to need resuscitating on no fewer than six occasions and the longest I was gone for was around 5 minutes.
Over the following few days, I was on life support and ended up having to have my right leg amputated above the knee.
Having been flown back to the UK, I then spent the next 10 weeks on the Military ward at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, where I went through over 20 operations and my weight dropped to as low as 60kg.
On leaving hospital, I then went through two years rehabilitation at Headley Court, learning to walk and even run again.
Whilst there, I spent most my free time in the gym, determined to never look as ill or skinny as I did in Hospital