Surviving bomb pushed me to become Paralympics presenter

JJ Chalmers, who is part of Channel 4’s presenting team in Rio says the games made him proud to be disabled after he was wounded in Afghanistan.

The former Royal Marines Commando told 5 live he watched the 2012 Games at home. He said:
“One year on I didn’t feel comfortable with myself yet to go to the Paralympics and watch them in London”.

JJ Chalmers, whose full name is Lance Corporal John James Chalmers, had nearly thirty operations after treading on an explosive in Afghanistan.

He said: “I don’t look it and go 'actually I should be able bodied and this should never have happened', I should be in a box in the ground.”
He added that this perspective gave him the confidence to follow his dream of becoming a presenter.

JJ Chalmers will be in Rio alongside fellow presenters, including RJ Mitte, Clare Balding and Adam Hills, for Channel 4's Paralympic Games coverage between 7 and 18 September.