
A hero Royal Marine who lost three limbs in a bomb blast in Afghanistan was praised by Prince Harry last night after winning a silver medal at the Invictus Games.

Mark Ormrod claimed second place for Team UK in the indoor rowing event in Toronto and received a warm handshake from Prince Harry as the royal presented him with his medal.

The Prince has been following determined Mr Ormrod's path to glory having first met him at Headley Court, the armed forces' rehabilitation centre in Surrey, in 2008.

Mr Ormrod, a father-of-three, said he was 'incredibly proud' of his performance and his silver medal and added that the competition was 'truly phenomenal'.

Kensington Palace, the Prince's official Twitter feed, later posted messages saying it was Harry's 'honour' to award 'the incredible' Mr Ormrod with his medal.

The former 40-commando, who also received a hug from his children, Evie and Mason, took the praise in his stride, joking only that he 'looked drunk' in his victory photos because he was so exhausted.

Mark Ormrod claimed second place for Team UK in the indoor rowing event at the Mattamy Athletic Centre in Toronto

Mark Ormrod with Prince Harry (left) and his children Evie and Mason (right) after winning his silver medal

Mark Ormrod claimed second place for Team UK in the indoor rowing event at the Mattamy Athletic Centre in Toronto

Mark was serving in Helmand Province in December 2007 when his life changed forever in a IED blast during a patrol

Prince Harry first met Mr Ormrod in 2008 in Headley Court and last night awarded him a silver Invictus Games medal

Speaking after receiving his medal, Mr Ormrod said: 'When I signed up I didn't realise the competition would be so intense but it is truly phenomenal.

'The support and atmosphere is incredible and I am so thankful to Help for Heroes for making this possible for myself and the 89 other UK Team competitors.

'To have two silver is brilliant and seeing the other competitors is humbling. I am incredibly proud of my performance and medal achievement but for many of the athletes it is about personal bests, getting on that start line and being part of a team.

'No matter your goal, everything about the Invictus Games is extraordinary.'

He added the prince had marvelled how he had managed to walk up to get his medal on only his stumps only moments after competing his race.

He said: 'It was too much faffing about to put on my prosthetics, so I thought I would just bum shuffle it out.

'I stump-walked up the ramp and Harry said 'Jesus, I can't believe you have done all that rowing and now you are just yomping up that ramp. It tales a bit of energy but it's no biggie.'

He said: 'They've been shouting at me saying you need to go faster! They're brilliant. This has been a brilliant experience for them, they have been walking around with their yes wide open.

'I don't even really think my daughter knows what the word proud means. But she came running over and said daddy I'm really proud.'

Mr Ormrod refuses to use a wheelchair, saying it was his first recovery target to to be able to learn to use prosthetic legs.

He explained: 'In January, I usually sit down and set my goals for the following year. This Christmas Eve is my ten year anniversary of getting injured.

'I had this mental image of a jigsaw puzzle with family, career, self-development, fun, and all that kind of stuff. The centrepiece that was missing to me was sport.

'Getting rid of the wheelchair was a priority, getting a job a priority, then children came along so sport was never on my radar.

'I thought it would be a nice way to cap the decade off to get into this sport, throw myself into the deep end with Invictus, see how I do and then for me on this is over that's going to make me feel like I have completely dominated my injuries.

'That's the last piece of the puzzle for me and it's a nice way to round off the ten years.'

It is the first time he has competed in the Invictus Games and says it is a decision he will never regret.

He added: 'I will hold my hand up and say one of the reasons I stayed away from disabled sport for so long was that it felt patronising.

'I'm just going to turn up, people will say yeah and I'll get a gold medal.

'Then I started training and I was like shit, these guys are like ninjas.

'Literally the first training I was like wow, I need to screw the nut here and start training because you've seen when these guys can do, they're phenomenal.'

As fans took to Instagram to congratulate him, Mr Ormrod insisted he is now concentrating on the other events he is competing in: cycling and swimming.

He wrote: 'Thanks everyone, no time to chill though, still got business to attend to.'

Mr Ormrod's incredible journey from near-death on the battlefield to sporting success is being made into a documentary which he hopes will inspire others not to give up.

He was carrying out a routine patrol on Christmas Eve in 2007 while serving in Helmand Province when he triggered an IED. The resulting explosion ripped off both his legs and his right arm.

Prince Harry pats Mr Ormrod on the head (left) while his children Evie and Mason admire his silver medal (right)

Mr Ormrod celebrated with his family after securing silver in the indoor rowing. He is also competing in swimming and cycling

Over the past couple of years he has been training to compete in the games in Canada this year

Prince Harry meets up with an athlete as he attends the Cycling Criterium time trial during the Invictus Games

Prince Harry was seen speaking to members of the British cycling team on day five of the Invictus Games in Toronto

He was fitted with artificial limbs on his return to Britain. He is the UK's first triple amputee to survive the Afghanistan conflict.

Mr Ormrod was told by doctors that he'd never walk again and that he should prepare himself for the rest of his life in a wheelchair, but he was undimmed and has since embarked on a gruelling training schedule so he could compete in rowing, swimming and cycling, with the aid of a hand-bike.

He joked in a recent interview: 'If I do this again I think I'll do shot put, archery and something that doesn't involve my lungs coming out of my throat most of the time.'

Over the past couple of years, Mr Ormrod has been training to compete in the games in Canada and was selected from more than 300 as one of 90 to take part.

He recently said he turned to sport for a new challenge, telling ITV News: 'Every other area of my life - my family, my career, my personal development; I've concentrated on over these 10 years but I've not done anything to do with sport.'

Mr Ormrod was second-in-command of a patrol circling their remote Forward Operating Base in Helmand province when tragedy struck.

Previously describing the horrific explosion which led to his injuries, he told how he begged for death.

Mr Ormrod said: 'I was lying naked and dying in the desert. I just thought I can't live like this. I turned to the corporal and shouted: 'Stick a bullet through my head'.

'I was serious. I remember lying there thinking that I would feel like someone had punched me in the back of the head and then it would go black and it would be okay.'

It comes as Prince Harry wrote a touching handwritten letter to the cancer-stricken wife of a former Invictus Games athlete.

The Prince sat down for several minutes and penned the inspiring note to Guylaine Catelain, wife of Colonel Lauren Catelain, while touring the warm-up area at the cycling competition in Toronto's High Park today.

He sat down for several minutes and penned the inspiring note to Guylaine Catelain, wife of Colonel Lauren Catelain, while touring the warm-up area at the cycling competition in Toronto's High Park today.

He wrote to Guylaine, 53, after being told about her condition and how her husband had been unable to compete this year as he is staying home to nurse her.

Mark Ormrod with his wife Becky (left) and friend Marine Ben McBean (right) after they both lost limbs in Afghanistan

Prince Harry first met Mr Ormrod in 2008 in Headley Court (pictured) and last night awarded him a silver Invictus Games medal

Road to recovery: Hero Royal Marine Mark Ormrod pictured during rehabilitation in 2012 after he lost both legs and one arm while serving in Afghanistan

He turned to sport for a new challenge after spending his first years after the incident building a new career for himself

Mark Ormrod lost both legs and his right arm in an IED blast in Afghanistan on Christmas Eve 2007

Colonel Catelain, formerly chief of the French mountain commandos, had competed at both of the two previous Invictus Games after losing both legs in Afghanistan.

French captain David Travadon told the Mirror: 'I asked Prince Harry to write her a note to encourage her. 'He took his time to write it and put a lot of care and thought into it.

'It will be very important to her. He sent her his best wishes and told her the spirit of the Games is with her.'

As part of the same visit the Prince was also presented with a bracelet by a Danish competitor, which he yesterday wore on his left wrist.

Harry watched a number of races and also handed out medals during his visit. He was later pictured sharing a hug with American athlete Ivan Castro, who ran the New York and Boston marathons for charity.

He also stopped by a large group of local schoolchildren, who cheered ecstatically after having a group photo taken with him.

After nearly three hours, his team had regrouped a couple of hundred feet from the main gate and were surveying the path ahead.

Mr Ormrod said: 'I was in a bit of a hollow and I had my three guys looking out where I needed them.

'Then I knelt on this thing and it went off. When I detonated the IED all the sand and shingle was blown up and created a sandstorm.'

Today, Mr Ormrod is an internationally acclaimed motivational speaker, a peak performance coach, and the author of the award winning auto-biography Man Down.

Speaking before the tournament he said: 'By jumping into it and learning it it's really helped me grow as a person.

'I think by representing the country at the Invictus Games it's going to feel like I've completely dominated my injuries and it's going to be a really nice way to round off 10 years.

'I'm just living my life. If that can motivate and inspire people then I think I'm onto a winner because I'm just going out and having a good time, enjoying myself and experiencing life while I'm here and if that helps other people get on with theirs then what more can you ask for?'

Mark Ormrod pictured crossing the parade ground to join his fellow 40 Royal Marine Commandos (left) and (right) in 2016

The prince was having a joke and a laugh with members of the British cycling team on day five of the Invictus Games

Prince Harry watched the cycling event in Toronto as the athletes went past him (left) and he was also seen speaking to members of the British team (right)