A student studying the Level 3 Sport Development, Coaching and Fitness course at Bridgwater College has been given an exceptional opportunity to work with injured service men and women at the Plymouth Naval base as part of the injury rehabilitation team.

Josh Smith, from Bridgwater, was given the opportunity to work in the 10 million pound rehabilitation centre based at HMS Drake in Plymouth, run by Hasler Company. The company work with injured personnel from all three services, to help aid their recovery, rehabilitation and re-integration. Less than 50% of patients are now made up of physical injuries, the rest are members that have psychological issues such as post-traumatic stress disorder.

Josh worked with marines and other service personnel to develop their physical attributes in specialised gyms designed for rehabilitation and the biggest hydrotherapy pool in Europe. As well as working to improve the physical wellbeing of the service personnel, Josh also helped to develop their transition skills to cope with a civilian lifestyle, such as CV writing for future employment.

After reflecting on his experience Josh said,

“This was an opportunity that I will never forget. The facilities I got to use, the injured personnel I got to meet and the staff who I worked with, made the whole experience amazing. The experience has really made me look at my long-term goals and consider my future. The week was a very eye opening experience for me and I am grateful to have had the opportunity.”