A FORMER paratrooper competing as a rower in this month's Invictus Games is hoping the event will help him become part of the paralympic team for Rio 2016.

Scott Meenagh, who lost both his legs in Afghanistan during 2011, said he was honoured to be taking part in the Games after only taking up rowing after the London Olympics in 2012.

He will compete in the Invictus Games - the event set up by Prince Harry - on Saturday.

Mr Meenagh, of Cumbernauld, describing the loss of his legs, said: "You go from this super fit, super healthy guy, a paratrooper, a rugby player, and all of a sudden I was being told what I could and couldn't do."

He added: "I didn't have a Plan B, because I didn't need one."

While working with other people had been helpful it was rediscovering sport that turned Mr Meenagh's life around.

"I had never rowed in my life. Rugby was my sport before and I did all sort of different para sports but nothing gave me the same physical output," he said.

"I did rowing and found myself in a sweaty mess on the floor.

The 25-year-old said: "I'm pretty stubborn and slightly competitive. Sometimes I don't know when to quit, that's probably my biggest strength and my biggest weakness."

He said competing at a professional level had changed his life and helped to put the past behind him.

"It's been amazing seeing the change over the last year. People no longer want to know what it felt like to lose my legs.

The last six to eight months have all been about sport.

"Being a wounded soldier sometimes people make life easier for you, I feel with rowing people don't care about being nice to you, if you're not hitting the marks they let you know.

Mr Meenagh received help from the Front Line to Start Line programme, a partnership between the British Paralympic Association and Help for Heroes, aimed to introduce military personnel and veterans to opportunities in Paralympic sport.

He said the Invictus Games would be the first time he can compete on a level playing field, after regularly having to pit himself against able-bodied rivals.

He added: "This has been my redefinition and is where I'm really going to come on to the stage and show what I can do. Hopefully it leads on to other things but it's a big milestone and I'm really excited to be part of the Games environment."

The Games will see more than 400 competitors, both serving military personnel and veterans.

They will go head to head in nine adaptive sports at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and Lee Valley Athletics Centre in London over four days, the event starting on uThursday.