Who is Owen Pick, and what it the charity that introduced him to snowboarding?

SNOWBOARDER Owen Pick will fly the flag for Great Britain at the opening ceremony for the Winter Paralympics in Pyeongchang.

It will be his first Games, after losing a leg while serving in the Army in Afghanistan eight years ago, aged just 18.

PA:Press Association

Pick will be leading out Team GB’s 17-strong team, their largest since Turin 2006, and have been set a target of beating their medal haul from four years ago of six.

Who is Owen Pick?

PICK, born July 9, 1991, grew up in Barton Mills near Cambridge, but only realised his talent on snow after using the sport as a way to rehabilitate from his injuries suffered in Afghanistan.

He joined the Army straight out of school, but just a few months into his first tour in Helmand Province, he stepped on an IED, which left his right leg in shreds.

Despite the doctors saving it, constant operations to return some use to Pick were painful and not working.

After 18 months of this, he decided to have it amputated and eventually contacted Blesma, a charity for military veterans who have lost limbs, where he was introduced to the world of snowboarding.

He immediately fell in love with the sport after trying it in Colorado, and now heads to the Paralympic Games, eight years after the explosion, with a silver medal at the World Championships last year and the role of flag-bearer for Team GB.

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Who are Blesma?

BLESMA was set up in 1932 and has since been the only national Armed Forces charity that helps veterans who have lost limbs.

Pick is among those to have seeked out their help, and it was them who got him involved in snowboarding.

Team GB’s flag-bearer is not the only person that has gone onto do incredible feats thanks to Blesma, with Nick Beighton among the first team to cross the UK in a straight line from Land’s End to John O’Groats, despite losing both of his legs in Afghanistan.

The charity set up rehabilitation activities and give support to those who are unable to use any of their limbs or eyes, with those currently serving or former veterans able to join.