Paralympic skier Steve Arnold admits he had no ambitions to be an elite athlete

Wounded war hero Steve Arnold admits he never wanted to be an elite athlete as he sets out to emulate the exploits of fellow injured veterans on his Paralympics debut.

Arnold’s life changed irreversibly in 2011 when the Army career he loved ended after he stepped on an improvised explosive device while serving with the Royal Engineers in Afghanistan.

The 42-year-old – who followed his grandfather, father and brother into the military – lost both legs above the knee.

Following a lengthy rehabilitation, the former staff sergeant has reinvented himself as a Nordic skier and was on Tuesday named in Great Britain’s team for Beijing, where he will compete in biathlon and cross-country events between March 4 and 13.

“I loved that job – that’s probably only the regret I have, I didn’t get to do my 22 years’ service because it got cut short,” Arnold told the PA news agency.

“Initially sport was just a thing to get me fit and healthy again after getting injured.

“There are a lot of crossovers between sport and the military: how tough it is, the good times, the bad times, the disappointing times, so it’s definitely helped me with this new career, as I call it.

“This wasn’t my be-all and end-all, I never wanted to be an elite athlete, I’m just lucky to have the chance – I found a sport that I was pretty good at.

“The military has definitely helped me to get to where I am now.

“Being in a military rehab centre, all the like-minded people, all the banter, all the mickey-taking, that got me through the early tough days.”

Arnold watched on with pride last year as ex-servicemen Jaco Van Gass (cycling), Stuart Robinson (wheelchair rugby) and Micky Yule (powerlifting) each won medals at the summer Paralympics in Tokyo.

He has personal