“Point me in the right direction and I'll crack on” (1)

Scott Blaney says losing his right leg in an IED blast in Afghanistan was the best thing that happened to him. Since that day in May 2007, he has run the London Marathon, swam the English Channel, rowed the Atlantic Ocean and successfully competed for Great Britain in Brazilian jiu-jitsu – none of which he thinks he would have done if he hadn’t been injured. But it is an altogether more serene sport that has become his passion over the last two decades. Golf, says Scott, saved his life. Now, it is his life…

You joined the Grenadier Guards when you were 18 years old…

My grandad always said the Queen’s Guard were some of the best soldiers in the world; they looked the smartest and protected the monarch, so I went down that route. I lost my mum during my GCSEs, so that spurred me on to join up and I never looked back.

I remember being 18, a young man in the middle of London, and loving it! The ceremonial side was brilliant. I did Trooping the Colour and the State Opening of Parliament; it taught me integrity. With your tunic polished and your bearskin on, you had real pride – but I was a green soldier; I liked getting stuck in and being out in the field when it was tough. That, to me, was real soldiering.

So you relished being posted to Afghanistan?

I deployed on Herrick Six in 2007. I was 20 years old, fit and ready for it. It was early on in the conflict, and we were out on the ground from day one, exchanging rounds sometimes hourly in contact after contact after contact. It was full-on every day.

Can you tell us about the day you were injured?

It was 26 May 2007. We’d been out on patrol that morning and had experienced heavy contact but hadn’t taken any casualties. When we came back into the FOB, we were told there were insurgents nearby, so that night we went back out and were immediately in contact. I just remember turning to look at a colleague and hearing a crack as an IED detonated.

I was blown into a ditch, another soldier was blown in the other direction. Dan, my best mate, was killed instantly, shrapnel broke Paul’s femurs, Nick lost his right leg… it was carnage.

“Losing my leg was the best thing that ever happened to me. Even though it’s taken a lot from me, it’s given everything back.”

Scott Blaney

Do you remember what happened next?

Yeah, I was awake the whole time. I reached down to my right leg and grabbed mush near my knee. Someone dragged me back and, as they did, my right foot stayed where it was. I also quickly realised that my right arm had been badly smashed up with shrapnel damage.

The boys fought hard to extract those of us who were injured – the drill sergeant put me onto his shoulders and carried me a mile-and-a-half as RPGs came in. I remember the pain of the tourniquet tightening, being put into a Land Rover and someone drilling into my shin to get fluids into me. That’s led to the mindset I have now; the courage to crack on and improvise, adapt and overcome anything.

Did that positive mindset come naturally?

In Selly Oak I was like: ‘ O K , it ’ s a le g , t h e r e a r e p r ost h e t ic s, r ig h t ? I ’ m a sold ie r , I ’ ll im p r ov ise . P oin t m e in t h e r ig h t d ir e c t ion , a n d I ’ ll c r a c k on . ’ I was walking with a brace within a few weeks and stayed in for a few years after my amputation.

Even though I lost my best friend that night, losing my leg was probably the best thing that ever happened to me. If I hadn’t lost it, I would have stayed in the regiment, probably done more tours and who knows what might have happened on those. I wouldn’t have met my wife and wouldn’t have gone on to do the things I’ve done. Even though it’s taken a lot from me, it’s given everything back.

Tell us about some of those things…

I was the first disabled serviceman ever to stand guard at the Tower of London. I felt like one of the blokes again; bulling my boots and brushing my bearskin – I was no different. I just wanted to make my fellow soldiers aware that I was able to do anything I put my mind to.

I ran the London Marathon and swam the Channel in 2009, and I rowed the Atlantic in 2014. I won silver in the Brazilian jiu-jitsu Para World Championships in 2023, and more recently I became the first disabled veteran to pass the Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) Programme.

What does that allow you to do?

It’s a degree-level qualification that takes three years to complete. As a PGA member, you can play in the main tour and the majors, and you can coach, manage or be a Director of Golf at a club.

You have to maintain a certain playing level, pass exams and write essays that cover everything from golfing technique to business to anatomy. It was tough, but I loved it and am the first disabled military veteran to pass the programme. Blesma helped me with the cost of tournament fees, travel, accommodation and subsistence through the Venture Fund while I was competing.

Golf has played a big part in your recovery, hasn’t it?

When I was at Headley Court, Lieutenant Colonel Tristan Crew and occupational therapist Zeno Gomez used the golf course so guys could learn to walk on undulating ground using prosthetics. After a while, Tristan thought: ‘ L e t ’ s st ic k a g olf c lu b in t h e ir h a n d s’, and Battle Back Golf was born.

I loved it straight away! My handicap dropped quickly, and I played a bit on the G4D European tour. I went down the coaching route but was a bit naïve, and it turned out I didn’t know as much as I thought. Tristan advised me to do the PGA qualification, and I started that journey in 2022.

What is it about golf specifically that resonates with you?

It’s calming. A summer’s evening with blue skies and no wind (and a few cans in your bag) is the nearest you can get to being in the middle of the Atlantic. It’s beautiful. And golf definitely saved my life.

I had a period after my injury when I turned to the bottle. I had really bad PTSD – flashbacks and nightmares – and decided I was going to end it all. On that particular day, one of the lads called me up ranting that I was meant to be on the tee and that I was going to be late. It was enough to stop me, and I raced home, threw my clubs in the boot and drove straight to the course.

About a year after that, I met my wife and I’ve never looked back.

And now you’re a PGA-qualified coach working at the Belfry…

Being a pro coach at the Belfry is special! The club is famous across the world, and every day I get to walk past all the Ryder Cup memorabilia. It’s such a great place to work, and I just love coaching.

There’s nothing better than solving a puzzle for a client who wants your help. If they’re hitting the ball right or left, or they can’t get it off the floor, for example, there’s nothing better than fixing that with them.

I aim to change the minimum to improve the maximum. It could be the smallest tweak – a bit more weight on the left foot or changing the grip slightly – but small margins can make big differences down the line.

As a coach, I love it when people walk away happy because we’ve solved the puzzle. I get everything back from it that I put in and so much more.

What’s next for you?

I can see myself being a Director of Golf somewhere one day, or maybe being head of the England Golf Disability Performance Squad. I’d like to try and change the future for disabled golf in some way.

I’m so passionate about the sport, but I don’t have a master plan at the moment – I’m just having fun!

The Blesma Activities Programme includes several golfing events. Visit www.blesma.org/activities for more.