AN Invictus Games double gold medallist fresh from his success in Sydney has took time out to meet sports students.

Dave Watson, who struck gold in the men’s IF6 discus and shot put, and silver twice in rowing events, took time out to visit Leigh College students.

The former guardsman from Walton-le-Dale lost both of his legs and his right arm after standing on an improvised explosive device in Afghanistan in 2010.

He had to be brought back to life while being air-lifted to safety.

Dave, who lives in Birmingham, makes the journey up north to Leigh Sports Village twice a week to train with his coach, former Olympic javelin thrower Shelley Holroyd.

She arranged a workshop with students on how to work with an athlete that has a lot of restrictions.

Dave, who was right-handed before the life-changing incident, had to train how to use his left hand.

Shelley, who is a British Athletics coach and the paralympic pathway co-ordinator for the north and east, said: “The session helped to get the students to think a bit more and you could see their thought process change.

"Giving students the opportunity to speak in this environment allows them to process the information well and they can see what they have learnt and put that into practice.

“I believe that the positive effect that it can have on them can also help to change mind sets to not always view disability as a negative.”

Shelley also talked about her role in searching for and identifying potential disabled athletes and provided an insight into how paralympics has changed in the last 20 years.