Incredible bravery of the Afghanistan war hero blown apart by a Taliban bomb taking his first steps towards his dream of walking unaided to the Cenotaph and laying a wreath on Remembrance Sunday
Sergeant Rick Clement lost both legs after stepping on IED in Afghanistan
Soldier, 35, has spent five years coming to terms with life-changing injury
He has now taken first steps with the help of two £50,000 mechanical legs
Hopes to walk to the Cenotaph to lay Remembrance wreath for his charity
By Emma Glanfield for MailOnline
Published: 14:31 EST, 22 July 2015 | Updated: 16:46 EST, 22 July 2015
With concentration etched deeply on his face, Rick Clement takes one faltering step after another.
Clinging to the handrails for support, this is the incredibly moving moment the Army sergeant determinedly takes his first steps since being blown apart by a Taliban bomb.
Having never thought he’d walk ever again, the Afghan war hero shows all the steely determination that made him a decorated leader of men as he takes the tentative steps five years after losing both of his legs in an IED explosion.
The 35-year-old soldier, who has suffered the highs and lows of both marriage and divorce since returning home from his life-changing Afghanistan tour, now hopes to fulfil his dream of walking to the Cenotaph.
The 35-year-old soldier, who has suffered the highs and lows of both marriage and divorce since returning home from his life-changing Afghanistan tour, now hopes to fulfil his dream of walking to the Cenotaph
Sgt Clement had concentration etched deeply on his face as he carefully took his first steps since the IED explosion in Helmand Province which left him with devastating injuries and unable to have sex or children
Describing himself as ‘Robocop’, he said he wants to give himself ‘every chance’ at life after posting a video showing himself taking his first steps towards his dream with the help of two £50,000 mechanical legs.
His incredible bravery has received widespread support from not only friends and family, but also millions of social media users following his story around the world.
It comes just five years after the thought of walking on his own to the Cenotaph and returning to life as normal with his fiance seemed like monumental obstacles to overcome.
The soldier, who had joined the Army at 17 after leaving Clitheroe Royal Grammar School in Lancashire, was serving with the 1st Battalion of the Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment in Helmand Province when he suffered critical life-changing injuries on May 27, 2010.
He stepped on a Taliban mine while leading a foot patrol and lost both of his legs, before ‘dying twice’ on the flight home from Camp Bastion.
When he came round, he was told he would never be able to have children or a sex life due to his genitals also being catastrophically damaged.
Following his return to Britain, he began his long road to recovery and even married his long-term girlfriend Leanne Isaacs, 35, who vowed to stand by her ‘perfect’ man despite his devastating injuries.
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