A DORSET veteran has been lauded as an ‘inspiration’ after winning gold at the 2017 Invictus Games in Toronto.

A beaming Lindsay Chapman received her medal from Prince Harry after winning the Women’s IT5 100m track race.

The Invictus Games, which is being held at Toronto’s York Lions Stadium, is an eight-day Paralympics-style competition for current and former servicemen and women and is the Prince’s passion project.

He founded the games in 2014 to celebrate veterans’ service.

With more hopefuls than ever before, 306 wounded, injured and sick (WIS) military personnel and veterans, trialled 11 sports for one of the 90 places available on the UK team.

Lindsay, a former Army private from Verwood, was paralysed from the chest down nearly ten years ago after a road traffic accident.

Having since struggled with being in a military environment and experiencing low confidence and depression, she was unable to leave her house for days at a time.

She is competing in the athletics and rowing events at the Games.

Mark Prior, senior duty officer for events at The Verwood Hub, where Lindsay trained for the games, said he was “incredibly pleased” by her success.

“It’s just so inspiring. We’re really proud that someone who has trained at our gym has achieved something so fantastic.

She used the rowing machine at our Verwood facility for the last six months so she could train easily.”

Throughout the games, Prince Harry is expected to attend training sessions and meet the veterans competing in Invictus’s 12 sports, which range from cycling to wheelchair basketball.

The games are close to the Prince’s heart - he served in Afghanistan and has spoken of being moved by his encounters with wounded servicemen during his first deployment there in 2008.

Poole resident Mark Bowra, a lieutenant colonel with the Royal Marines who suffered a stroke, is also competing at the games.

He also competed last year and won a swimming medal in the men’s 50 L C metre freestyle.