Gold medal joy for club member Kevin Drake at Invictus Games in Canada

Congratulations to Kevin Drake, a member at The Shrewsbury Club, who has achieved his ambition of winning gold at the Invictus Games in Canada. He teamed up with Alex Krol to claim victory for the UK team in the wheelchair tennis event.

Kevin and doubles partner Alex, from Liverpool, beat the New Zealand duo Glenn Barnes and Aaron Gibbs 6-4 in an exciting final in Toronto.

Kevin, who lives in Shrewsbury, said: “They’ve been the hardest team to push us throughout the tournament. It was a great final and we were getting a bit worried at one point. Then we broke serve and that gave us the advantage.” 

Enjoying the experience of competing at the Invictus Games, Kevin said: “It’s been unbelievable. I’ve got my kids here, my wife here, my dad and step mum are here, and they’re loving every moment of it." 

Kevin, who plays regularly with the Shropshire Wheelchair Tennis Group here at The Shrewsbury Club, is grateful for all the support he has received from his family.  “I think they’re immensely proud,” he added. "They’ve seen the journey I’ve gone through from the start, the low points I’ve been at, and how much the Invictus Games has changed me and uplifted me.” 

Kevin is part of a 90-strong UK team of wounded, injured and sick serving military personnel and veterans taking part in the prestigious event in Toronto this week. It features more than 550 competitors from 17 nations.

His doubles partner Alex also won gold last year and the duo have trained hard to become Invictus Games champions in Canada. 

A sergeant in the Army, Kevin was in a vehicle which drove over an explosive device in Afghanistan in January 2013. He had his left leg amputated last year. He has spent the last four years in and out of Headley Court, the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre in Surrey, undergoing a number of operations.

Pictured: Alex Krol and, right, The Shrewsbury Club member Kevin Drake celebrate their Invictus Games success in Toronto. Picture courtesy of Getty Images.