“I want to inspire others,” says Rifleman Paul Jacobs as we chat about the many challenges he has faced from childhood to being blinded in a bomb blast in Afghanistan and then tackling marathons, mountains, endurance events and now the journey to become the UK’s first blind boxing trainer with T50 gym in Ramsgate.
In 2009, Paul was just 20 years old when he was caught in a Taliban bomb blast whilst serving with 2nd Battalion The Rifles in Afghanistan.
He suffered severe shrapnel injuries in his arm, legs and face, losing one eye, blinded in the other and sustaining a traumatic brain injury. He had been with a patrol in an isolated alleyway in the Upper Sangin Valley, when the enormous explosion from a hidden bomb killed a colleague.
Paul started clearing the ground, ensuring there were no other IEDs up to, and around, the body. Then, as he moved back towards his cover man, another device exploded, killing another British soldier and seriously injuring Paul.
Despite his injuries he managed to drag himself to a mine-free area of ground so that his colleagues could rescue him safely.
Paul was flown to Selly Oak hospital, Birmingham, where he was in a coma for three weeks before beginning his road to recovery.
In 2010 he was awarded the George Medal, granted by Queen Elizabeth II in recognition of “acts of great bravery”. His citation for the medal was ‘for faultless courage, selflessness and dedication to his unit’. He left the Army in 2012.
In the years since Paul, now 35, has raised hundreds of thousands for charities by climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, cycling 500 miles, skydiving, running marathons, becoming the first blind war veteran to climb to Mount Everest base camp, walking across Norway for the Heroes of Telemark and more.
He has also returned to boxing, a sport he was involved with before his sight loss, and fought full-sighted opponents in the ring.
Paul wants to inspire more veterans, people with disabilities and, as a former foster child, children in the care system to embrace sport and achieve their best.
He said: “It’s my passion, what I enjoy. Someone my size, 6ft 2 and 18 stone, getting in the ring and hitting the pads blind. It makes me feel alive.
“It’s the fight itself, the thrill of it, maybe it’s my inner warrior. Me and you get in the ring, the bell goes and we are about to fight, it’s about who can put their emotion on the other person, if I can do that blind and make it look good, that’s amazing.
“It’s the thrill of working it out, like a game of chess. I have to work twice as hard {as a sighted boxer} and that is hard mentally as well as physically. If that fighter is burning 1000 calories then I’m burning 1300.”
And with training, he says his war blindness can even help: “I have teamed up with a big lad who struggles with his weight. He feels good because he can assist me. I can’t see him, I’m not judging him.”
Paul says he uses instinct and the boxing knowledge he’d already gained to guide him when training and fighting and it is this determination that has impressed T50 owner Alex Stockley and coach Sam Coveney.
Alex said: “Paul came and started training with us last month and he met members and the kids and they took a real liking to him.
“He’s been helping out coaching in the kids’ classes and with being fostered and being in the Army he has quite a lot of knowledge.
“We are looking to go official as an amateur boxing gym and then Paul will become the first blind amateur boxing coach.”
Once the gym is affiliated Paul will be taking the necessary coaching courses to take on the role.
Alex said: “We hope this will inspire other war veterans and people with disabilities to come into sports, try boxing and feel comfortable in the gym.”
Paul also works to be a positive influence for youngsters, particularly those in the care system.
He and his siblings all went into care as children with Paul and his sister sadly being split from their brothers.
From the age of just one, Paul spent his childhood in homes and foster families being shifted from his birth place in south London across the country until he ended up with a family in Ramsgate which he still maintains a relationship with.
His other family was his infantry regiment. Paul was a teenager and sleeping rough in London when he was inspired to join up after seeing a soldier looking ‘smart’ and ‘strong’ and he decided to take a chance in life and ‘sign on the dotted line.’
He did basic training in Yorkshire and served in Northern Ireland before going on tour in Afghanistan. Paul credits his time in service as teaching him independence, respect, success, how to be fearless and how to love, something that had previously been missing from his life.
The former Newington primary and then Hereson student is now an ambassador for Diagrama Fostering and works with youngsters in the Broadstairs detachment of the Kent Army Cadet Force.
He is also ambassador for the Taxi Charity for Military Veterans and supports The Always a Rifleman Programme (AARP) which helps veterans and their families.
In April Paul will run the London Marathon -for a third time- in support of the Taxi charity and Diagrama.
Sam says the combination of Paul’s experiences and his determination will be invaluable to T50. He said: “There can be a lot of negative assumptions about boxing but in reality this gym has such a pleasant environment and Paul will bring an extra chromosome to that.
“He could so easily use what happened as an excuse to be depressed and negative but actually his energy is so positive. His approach to life, being out there and helping other people, is fantastic.”
Alex added: “We have lots of kids who are in foster homes or kids’ homes, and Paul grew up in care so can relate to those kids, he was in the Army so can relate to our kids who are in the cadets and we have kids with autism and Paul can come in on that as well.”
Paul, whose main inspiration is his 13 year old son, continues to take on challenges in life with a no nonsense approach but also with courage, humour and compassion for others.
He said: “I don’t let the grass grow under my feet. My life is still getting up at 5am and bed at 10pm. If you want to get to the top of the world, then you have to train for the top of the world.
“It’s not about disability, it’s about ability. You do not need sight to have vision.”
T50 Boxing and Fitness Academy launched at the former The Window Workshop site in Whitehall Road in April last year.
The gym holds sessions for children and adults and also has a special focus on assisting those with autism, ADHD or poor mental health.
T50 is looking for more sponsors and funding to give an opportunity for them to offer free sessions to those in need.
Find T50 at:
45 Whitehall Road, Ramsgate
Great man! That’s the spirit. All best.
Incredieble to be working so hard with such experiences. To inpsire young people who don’t have a lot in the world is the most incredible thing Paul, keep it up!
Amazing courage Paul.