0:00:02 > 0:00:09Paratrooper Ben Parkinson is one of Britain's most wounded soldiers.
0:00:09 > 0:00:13Blown up in Afghanistan, his injuries were so severe,
0:00:13 > 0:00:15he was brought home to die.
0:00:15 > 0:00:18When they started to take him off the sedation, there was
0:00:18 > 0:00:21just nothing, nothing there at all.
0:00:21 > 0:00:24Brain injured and with both legs amputated,
0:00:24 > 0:00:27Ben's family were told he'd never walk or talk again.
0:00:27 > 0:00:30- Back straight, come on, push! Push! - BEN GROANS
0:00:30 > 0:00:33But Ben Parkinson is a fighter.
0:00:33 > 0:00:36And he began a long road to recovery that's seen him
0:00:36 > 0:00:40push back the boundaries of what wounded soldiers can achieve
0:00:40 > 0:00:44and become an inspiration to millions of others.
0:00:44 > 0:00:49And his journey has brought him here, to the great Canadian wilderness,
0:00:49 > 0:00:53where he faces one of his biggest challenges yet.
0:00:53 > 0:00:57He'll be paddling hundreds of miles down the mighty Yukon River,
0:00:57 > 0:01:01a daunting mass of fast-flowing water.
0:01:01 > 0:01:04For Ben, it'll be much more than a trek into the unknown -
0:01:04 > 0:01:08he'll be battling with his damaged and broken body.
0:01:17 > 0:01:19There's his pillow, need that too.
0:01:19 > 0:01:23Lance bombardier Ben Parkinson is packing for a journey
0:01:23 > 0:01:26few imagined he would ever be able to take.
0:01:26 > 0:01:28Your very patriotic hat.
0:01:28 > 0:01:31Well, that's to keep you warm at night.
0:01:31 > 0:01:32You going to put that on now?
0:01:32 > 0:01:35- Yeah.- Right, all right, then. But don't forget it.
0:01:35 > 0:01:40In 2006, his battlefield injuries had left him in a desperate state.
0:01:41 > 0:01:46Now Ben and his stepdad, Andy Durney, are heading for the Yukon.
0:01:46 > 0:01:49Gold Rush country in north-west Canada.
0:01:49 > 0:01:51Andy won't just be Ben's carer on the trip,
0:01:51 > 0:01:54he'll also be his cook and right-hand man.
0:01:54 > 0:01:57Right, there's the full washing kit.
0:01:57 > 0:01:58We don't need them.
0:01:59 > 0:02:01Put 'em in.
0:02:01 > 0:02:04Ben and Andy are part of a team put together by the Forces charity,
0:02:04 > 0:02:06Pilgrim Bandits.
0:02:06 > 0:02:09They believe in pushing injured service personnel
0:02:09 > 0:02:12to their physical and mental limits,
0:02:12 > 0:02:15recreating the challenges the soldiers faced
0:02:15 > 0:02:17when they were in the military.
0:02:17 > 0:02:21The Yukon will be a big test for this lad from Doncaster.
0:02:21 > 0:02:25Not only are there bears and wolves, there's 250 miles of canoeing
0:02:25 > 0:02:28and a week of wild camping.
0:02:28 > 0:02:33For a guy with no legs, it's going to be a tough expedition.
0:02:33 > 0:02:35I'll be joining Ben on the trip.
0:02:35 > 0:02:38Meeting him, it's clear what he's had to overcome.
0:02:38 > 0:02:40Who are these people?
0:02:40 > 0:02:43'The brain injury has affected his speech.
0:02:43 > 0:02:46'And there were huge gaps in his memory.'
0:02:46 > 0:02:49So, Ben, I understand your nickname was "The Big Unit"?
0:02:52 > 0:02:53And you look a big unit there.
0:03:03 > 0:03:06I have to say, it's one guy talking to another,
0:03:06 > 0:03:08but you're quite a handsome boy.
0:03:12 > 0:03:14What about this one? Any ideas?
0:03:24 > 0:03:29Do you find it frustrating that you've got lots of your memory that's missing?
0:03:43 > 0:03:47- That's Afghan, is it?- Yeah.- Yeah.
0:03:47 > 0:03:51- But you can't remember this? - Nothing.- Nothing?
0:03:51 > 0:03:52Nothing at all.
0:03:52 > 0:03:54Before or after, or nothing?
0:04:08 > 0:04:10A brilliant set of photos.
0:04:10 > 0:04:13Just looking at these and talking to your mum and Andy,
0:04:13 > 0:04:17you've made such massive progress since the incident.
0:04:17 > 0:04:19Have you any hopes and aspirations moving forward?
0:04:33 > 0:04:36I have no doubt this gentleman will float like a butterfly
0:04:36 > 0:04:38and sting like a bee.
0:04:38 > 0:04:40But once you've conquered the Yukon.
0:04:48 > 0:04:51Ben's certainly not without ambition.
0:04:51 > 0:04:54His Yukon adventure is just the latest in a long list
0:04:54 > 0:04:55of epic challenges.
0:04:55 > 0:04:58He's already skied across the Norwegian Arctic
0:04:58 > 0:05:02and he still has the beating heart of a paratrooper inside him.
0:05:02 > 0:05:07He's completed an astonishing 23 jumps since he was injured.
0:05:07 > 0:05:11Ben's now a poster boy for wounded soldiers.
0:05:11 > 0:05:16In 2012, he carried the Olympic Torch through his hometown.
0:05:16 > 0:05:1712 months later,
0:05:17 > 0:05:23"The Big Unit" got the big call to go to the Palace to receive an MBE.
0:05:24 > 0:05:27But the Yukon is a whole new ballgame.
0:05:27 > 0:05:30And while most people are taking it easy on a Friday night,
0:05:30 > 0:05:33Ben's in a warehouse in the south of England
0:05:33 > 0:05:35getting the lowdown on what he'll need.
0:05:37 > 0:05:41So that, your tent, your doss roll, your thermals...
0:05:41 > 0:05:44Ex-lads should have all their own.
0:05:44 > 0:05:47'The expedition is being led by a group of crack ex-servicemen
0:05:47 > 0:05:50'known as the pilgrim bandits.
0:05:50 > 0:05:53'They've served Queen and country all over the globe.
0:05:53 > 0:05:56'Now they're putting their military skills to use,
0:05:56 > 0:06:01'pushing injured soldiers and civvies like me to their absolute limits.'
0:06:01 > 0:06:05We're hoping to be on the water between half-past seven and eight o'clock.
0:06:05 > 0:06:07MOBILE PHONE RINGS
0:06:07 > 0:06:09There's always one, isn't there? Yes!
0:06:09 > 0:06:10LAUGHTER
0:06:10 > 0:06:12- BEN:- Hello? - LAUGHTER
0:06:12 > 0:06:16- BEN:- I'm on the phone, man!
0:06:16 > 0:06:19Ben's not the only injured soldier on the trip.
0:06:19 > 0:06:23There are other double amputees who were wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan
0:06:23 > 0:06:27and we're all being warned that we're heading out of our comfort zones.
0:06:28 > 0:06:31This is a solar charger, I believe.
0:06:31 > 0:06:34And everyone's recommending that we take one, you know,
0:06:34 > 0:06:37to charge your phones up and that sort of thing.
0:06:37 > 0:06:40There'll be no signal for phones, but you can take pictures
0:06:40 > 0:06:41and all that sort of stuff.
0:06:41 > 0:06:43'There's lots to learn, and fast.
0:06:43 > 0:06:47'But I want to understand what makes Ben Parkinson tick.'
0:06:47 > 0:06:49Just why is he so driven?
0:06:49 > 0:06:51And whether this incredible man has any limits.
0:06:58 > 0:07:00Morning, Ben. You're looking the part!
0:07:00 > 0:07:03All I can see is a little thumb sticking out the top. How are you, mate?
0:07:03 > 0:07:06- Sleep all right?- Yeah. Amazing.
0:07:06 > 0:07:09There's your boat. What do you think?
0:07:09 > 0:07:12Poole harbour in Dorset isn't exactly frontier land.
0:07:12 > 0:07:15But after almost a year of preparation,
0:07:15 > 0:07:18it's the last training exercise before we head for Canada.
0:07:18 > 0:07:20Here we go.
0:07:20 > 0:07:23Ben's off already, there's no stopping him!
0:07:23 > 0:07:24LAUGHING: Look at him!
0:07:24 > 0:07:27Glynn in the back is hardly paddling!
0:07:29 > 0:07:32It's the open sea rather than a river,
0:07:32 > 0:07:34but at least we can fine-tune our technique.
0:07:35 > 0:07:39Right, brilliant. So as you're paddling along, Ben, we're going to try and imagine
0:07:39 > 0:07:41you've got a punchball in front of your face.
0:07:41 > 0:07:44And we're going to try and punch it with your top hand,
0:07:44 > 0:07:45does that make sense?
0:07:45 > 0:07:50Yeah, that's it, like that. So it gets your paddle upright. Yeah, that's good.
0:07:50 > 0:07:52He's knocking 'em out, there.
0:07:54 > 0:07:57Do you think he's going to have any specific problems with this
0:07:57 > 0:07:59- kind of... With the duration of it all?- Yeah, I think so.
0:07:59 > 0:08:02The repetitive nature of it... Because obviously it will become fatiguing,
0:08:02 > 0:08:06so we're looking at probably between 45 and 55 miles a day.
0:08:06 > 0:08:10- So, so far today, we've probably done about four, and how are you feeling?- Quite tired.- Yeah, yeah.
0:08:10 > 0:08:14It does become quite tiring, the repetitive nature of it.
0:08:14 > 0:08:17But it's just the ability for him just to carry on, so just to get used
0:08:17 > 0:08:21to getting in that zone and waking up and going and paddling and paddling and paddling.
0:08:21 > 0:08:24He's so powerful, but he just compensates and keeps going, keeps going and keeps going.
0:08:24 > 0:08:26Right.
0:08:26 > 0:08:29He's just a bit like a Duracell bunny, wind him up and off he goes!
0:08:29 > 0:08:30THEY LAUGH
0:08:32 > 0:08:36- The power transfer goes through your body, through your feet.- Yeah, yeah.
0:08:36 > 0:08:39- So it's a full body workout, really.- Yeah.
0:08:40 > 0:08:43- How are you doing, Ben?- All right. - Good man.
0:08:46 > 0:08:48Paddling isn't straightforward for Ben.
0:08:48 > 0:08:52It's not just that he's an amputee, his back is broken.
0:08:52 > 0:08:54To make him more comfortable,
0:08:54 > 0:08:57he's been training in an open Canadian canoe.
0:08:57 > 0:09:00It's constant, energy-sapping exercise,
0:09:00 > 0:09:03but it seems Ben has a competitive streak.
0:09:04 > 0:09:07Ben, thoughts so far, how's it going?
0:09:10 > 0:09:14- Very enjoyable... Oh, very annoying? - Very annoying.- Why?
0:09:21 > 0:09:22You're joking.
0:09:28 > 0:09:30Every time I look up at you, all I can see is
0:09:30 > 0:09:33just these pair of shoulders and paddle working.
0:09:40 > 0:09:44You're doing pretty well. Every time I look up, you're in the front.
0:09:44 > 0:09:49Thankfully, the Yukon expedition will be a marathon rather than a sprint.
0:09:49 > 0:09:54It'll be tough, but if the weather's bad, it could be punishing.
0:09:54 > 0:09:57When we were there doing the recce, we had freezing fog
0:09:57 > 0:10:00and freezing weather for a couple of nights.
0:10:00 > 0:10:01And it was cold.
0:10:01 > 0:10:04You know, minus 12, I think it was.
0:10:04 > 0:10:08But other than that it's just a fast-flowing river.
0:10:08 > 0:10:10If we get any problems, you can't turn round.
0:10:10 > 0:10:12The river is just too quick.
0:10:12 > 0:10:15The Yukon will be a test of all our abilities
0:10:15 > 0:10:17and Ben is up for the challenge.
0:10:19 > 0:10:20Nice one, chaps.
0:10:20 > 0:10:23I think he still thinks he's got something to prove
0:10:23 > 0:10:26and I really don't think that anybody thinks he has got
0:10:26 > 0:10:30anything to prove, but Ben just cracks on with everything.
0:10:30 > 0:10:34He is not one for sitting around and watching TV, he doesn't do
0:10:34 > 0:10:38much Facebook, he wants to do the experts and get there.
0:10:38 > 0:10:41And he's a Para at the end of the day,
0:10:41 > 0:10:43and failure isn't an option.
0:10:43 > 0:10:44I've got you, Ben.
0:10:44 > 0:10:47So as we set off for the Yukon, there must be something
0:10:47 > 0:10:48Ben's worried about.
0:11:00 > 0:11:02MIKE LAUGHS
0:11:02 > 0:11:04'My travels normally focus on wildlife
0:11:04 > 0:11:07'so I wouldn't mind an encounter with a bear or two.
0:11:07 > 0:11:10'I'm not sure everyone else would be so keen.'
0:11:13 > 0:11:16It seems Ben's beat us to it, he's just down here.
0:11:16 > 0:11:19Let's see how he's feeling this morning. Ready for the off.
0:11:21 > 0:11:24- You've got your haircut nice and short for it.- You...
0:11:24 > 0:11:26I've got no choice!
0:11:26 > 0:11:28Morning, Andy, how's everything going?
0:11:28 > 0:11:31All right, yes, first here, I can't argue with that.
0:11:31 > 0:11:35The trip is a logistical headache for Ben and Andy.
0:11:35 > 0:11:39As well as the camping gear, there's all the other medical equipment, too.
0:11:39 > 0:11:45If anything is forgotten, well, the Yukon's a long way from Yorkshire.
0:11:45 > 0:11:46Because he's got, you know, the legs
0:11:46 > 0:11:48and everything you've got to make sure he's got
0:11:48 > 0:11:50all the stuff for putting the legs on and off
0:11:50 > 0:11:53and I'm always panicking that I've forgotten something
0:11:53 > 0:11:56cos one little bit, and that means he can't put them on very well.
0:11:56 > 0:12:01It's more than 4,000 miles as the crow flies from the UK to the Yukon.
0:12:01 > 0:12:04It takes two flights to reach its capital, Whitehorse,
0:12:04 > 0:12:09but from the air we can understand the kind of terrain that awaits us.
0:12:09 > 0:12:11This is a land of vast open spaces.
0:12:11 > 0:12:15No wonder this is the wilderness centre of Canada.
0:12:15 > 0:12:17Let the adventure begin.
0:12:22 > 0:12:26We are planning to join the Yukon River a few hours' drive
0:12:26 > 0:12:30north of Whitehorse at the small community of Carmacks.
0:12:30 > 0:12:33If all goes well, eight days later, we'll reach the former
0:12:33 > 0:12:38Klondike Gold Rush centre of Dawson City.
0:12:38 > 0:12:40That's the idea.
0:12:40 > 0:12:42But the realities are daunting.
0:12:42 > 0:12:46At 2,000 miles long, the Yukon is a giant of a river.
0:12:52 > 0:12:58Yukon territory is also massive. It's twice the size of Britain.
0:12:58 > 0:13:01Just 35,000 people live here.
0:13:01 > 0:13:04There are more moose than humans.
0:13:06 > 0:13:09The river flows like a superhighway.
0:13:09 > 0:13:12Fed by glacial meltwater, it is both freezing
0:13:12 > 0:13:15and its speed deadly.
0:13:15 > 0:13:17We will all have to be on top of our game.
0:13:17 > 0:13:19One of the problems when you are on it,
0:13:19 > 0:13:21because it is like being on a conveyor belt,
0:13:21 > 0:13:23you can be a bit blase about the fact that it's moving really quickly
0:13:23 > 0:13:26but in actual fact you just need to be aware all the time,
0:13:26 > 0:13:27never switch off.
0:13:27 > 0:13:29Assume everything is trying to kill you, you'll be fine.
0:13:29 > 0:13:32Well, it is the first kayaking day, everyone's suitably refreshed
0:13:32 > 0:13:37after their first night under canvas and it's pretty cold at the moment.
0:13:37 > 0:13:40We're having our first meeting, everyone getting familiar with who
0:13:40 > 0:13:43they are going to be kayaking with. I think we are all feeling the same.
0:13:43 > 0:13:46We want to get on the water and get paddling
0:13:46 > 0:13:47but the devil is in the detail.
0:13:47 > 0:13:51There is so much to sort out before we start to float.
0:13:51 > 0:13:53You keep yourself dry, you keep yourself warm.
0:13:53 > 0:13:56Religiously look after your sleeping bag
0:13:56 > 0:13:59and your clothes to make sure that they are permanently dry.
0:13:59 > 0:14:02As soon as they get wet we really struggle to dry them.
0:14:02 > 0:14:06Most of us are using enclosed kayaks but because of Ben's back
0:14:06 > 0:14:10problems, his open Canadian canoe needs a bit of tweaking.
0:14:10 > 0:14:12These are sort of standard canoes and because we have got them
0:14:12 > 0:14:16from the outfitters here in Canada they are very different to the
0:14:16 > 0:14:18set-up that we've had for Ben when we have been training
0:14:18 > 0:14:21over in the UK, so the difficulty is we are having to sort of be
0:14:21 > 0:14:23a little bit Heath Robinson with the way that we set it up.
0:14:23 > 0:14:26Well, obviously, without legs, stability's a massive issue...
0:14:26 > 0:14:30- Oh, huge.- ..and these bags are there to just wedge him in?- Almost, yes.
0:14:30 > 0:14:32It is designed that you can press against it so when
0:14:32 > 0:14:35he puts the paddle in, he's able to drive through his stumps
0:14:35 > 0:14:37if you like and it pushes the boat forwards
0:14:37 > 0:14:39so he's able to transfer the power through his body
0:14:39 > 0:14:42and then transfer it through the legs and drive the boat forwards.
0:14:42 > 0:14:44He's a real unit. He's strong and powerful
0:14:44 > 0:14:46and, therefore, he is able to power the boat.
0:14:46 > 0:14:49Nell at the back will essentially be trying to keep
0:14:49 > 0:14:52it in a straight line and steering it. The power's up front.
0:14:52 > 0:14:54I think for many able-bodied people they are worried about the
0:14:54 > 0:14:58physical aspect of the kayaking and everything else is much easier.
0:14:58 > 0:15:00For you, it is the other way round.
0:15:00 > 0:15:03I think you'll be great in the kayak but struggle elsewhere.
0:15:22 > 0:15:25Is it tough to have everyone do everything for you?
0:15:25 > 0:15:27Not really, no.
0:15:27 > 0:15:28THEY LAUGH
0:15:28 > 0:15:33This is like rehab for Ben. He is used to walking on level ground.
0:15:33 > 0:15:38If he can get walking better on all these lumps and bumps, that has got
0:15:38 > 0:15:40to be brilliant because when he gets back on the level ground,
0:15:40 > 0:15:43he'll be away. I won't be to keep up with him!
0:15:43 > 0:15:47The expedition comes at a poignant time for Ben and his family.
0:15:47 > 0:15:50It's nine years to the very day
0:15:50 > 0:15:53since he was severely wounded in Afghanistan.
0:15:53 > 0:15:56We normally make quite a big thing of it.
0:15:56 > 0:15:58We call it Ben's Survival Day.
0:15:58 > 0:16:02We don't call it the day when you got injured, it is
0:16:02 > 0:16:06the day when he survived and, every year, apart from the first one
0:16:06 > 0:16:09when you weren't well enough, we have had some kind of party.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12- Happy Survival Day, Ben. - Cheers.- Congratulations.
0:16:12 > 0:16:14Let's hope we survive the rest of the week.
0:16:14 > 0:16:16And see you on the water.
0:16:18 > 0:16:20Survival could be a big thing today
0:16:20 > 0:16:23because there's one major obstacle to overcome.
0:16:23 > 0:16:28A treacherous stretch of water called Five Finger Rapids.
0:16:28 > 0:16:31And it's so called because there are five ways you can go down,
0:16:31 > 0:16:34and, believe me, four of those ways you do not want to
0:16:34 > 0:16:37take your kayak down because there is a lot of white water,
0:16:37 > 0:16:41rocks, lateral water trying to flip the boat,
0:16:41 > 0:16:45so it is crucial we pick the one way that it's safe to go down.
0:16:45 > 0:16:48For inexperienced kayakers like me, and obviously Ben
0:16:48 > 0:16:51with his physical challenges, that is going to be tough.
0:16:51 > 0:16:54If we get down there, we're going to enjoy our dinner.
0:16:55 > 0:16:56My first stroke.
0:16:59 > 0:17:01Fabulous, see you later.
0:17:03 > 0:17:06With no home comforts for the next eight days,
0:17:06 > 0:17:10Ben will have little option on this expedition but to go with the flow.
0:17:12 > 0:17:15It's my first hour on the water and I have to say I am loving it
0:17:15 > 0:17:17but there is one person who's enjoying it more than me
0:17:17 > 0:17:20and it is that chap over there, Ben.
0:17:20 > 0:17:24He may have no legs but he is a powerhouse.
0:17:24 > 0:17:29Ever since his accident nine years ago, he has spent time in the gym
0:17:29 > 0:17:32bulking up, he has got massive biceps, huge shoulders.
0:17:32 > 0:17:35The man was basically born to kayak.
0:17:35 > 0:17:39We are following a well-travelled route to Dawson City.
0:17:39 > 0:17:41Towards the end of the 19th century,
0:17:41 > 0:17:46the Yukon River was the quickest way to get to the Klondike Gold Fields.
0:17:46 > 0:17:50Thousands paid a small fortune to go by water, braving the river
0:17:50 > 0:17:53with all its natural hazards.
0:17:53 > 0:17:56Many more took their chances by trekking over the mountains.
0:17:56 > 0:18:01Whichever way they went it was no easy journey
0:18:01 > 0:18:03and one often made in vain.
0:18:03 > 0:18:06Few ever found the riches they were looking for.
0:18:09 > 0:18:15The river hasn't changed much and neither have the Five Finger Rapids.
0:18:15 > 0:18:19With confined cliff faces and swift running water, this spot has
0:18:19 > 0:18:21the potential to cause a whole heap of trouble.
0:18:25 > 0:18:29One mistake and our boats could be tipped over.
0:18:29 > 0:18:33That would be bad for any of us but especially if it happened to Ben.
0:18:36 > 0:18:39The current is moving so quickly here that if Ben goes
0:18:39 > 0:18:42overboard we'll have a job on our hands to get to him in time.
0:18:46 > 0:18:50It's a tense few minutes but the rest of us make it through.
0:18:51 > 0:18:53Well, that was fun.
0:18:53 > 0:18:56Water splashing over the front of the boat
0:18:56 > 0:18:59and any minute Ben's about to appear around the corner
0:18:59 > 0:19:01and it is going to be a different proposition for him
0:19:01 > 0:19:04because he's in an open kayak so it might just fill with water.
0:19:04 > 0:19:06Let's see how he gets on.
0:19:13 > 0:19:18Nine years ago in Afghanistan, Ben's life was hanging by a thread.
0:19:18 > 0:19:22Now he's careering down the Yukon River.
0:19:22 > 0:19:24What a way to celebrate your Survival Day.
0:19:28 > 0:19:32When we first met Ben, he was in an electric wheelchair,
0:19:32 > 0:19:37you know, going up and down, he couldn't virtually hardly talk.
0:19:37 > 0:19:40No, he just looked a real sad bloke.
0:19:40 > 0:19:45But you could see... Ben's... Ben's a kind of special guy,
0:19:45 > 0:19:48you could see somewhere in there
0:19:48 > 0:19:52that there was still something wanting to get out
0:19:52 > 0:19:55and able to get out and he just needed...
0:19:55 > 0:19:59It just needed the nut cracking, really, and that's all we've done.
0:19:59 > 0:20:03The Pilgrim Bandits say they're not here to provide sympathy
0:20:03 > 0:20:05for severely wounded soldiers,
0:20:05 > 0:20:09but to help restore their confidence and self belief.
0:20:09 > 0:20:13Former Royal Marine Vinny Manley lost his legs nine years ago,
0:20:13 > 0:20:18working as a private military contractor for the Americans in Iraq.
0:20:18 > 0:20:22This kind of calculated risk, you know you are on the front line.
0:20:22 > 0:20:25In my mind it was no different from being in the Marines.
0:20:25 > 0:20:28You do what you love and you take your chance.
0:20:28 > 0:20:32Like many other wounded veterans, recovery hasn't been easy.
0:20:33 > 0:20:37They kind of show you that if you are prepared to put 100%
0:20:37 > 0:20:42effort in then your life can go back to almost as good as what it was.
0:20:42 > 0:20:46Obviously there's a lot of different ways of doing things as an amputee,
0:20:46 > 0:20:51but, you know, I'm here, I'm in the Yukon, it's awesome.
0:20:51 > 0:20:55Tyler Christopher was just 25 when he lost both his legs after stepping
0:20:55 > 0:20:59on a mine whilst on patrol with the Rifles regiment in Afghanistan.
0:21:00 > 0:21:04I was lying face down and it just felt like warm water
0:21:04 > 0:21:06pouring down my legs.
0:21:06 > 0:21:10I was trying to get up but it just weren't working.
0:21:10 > 0:21:12I was lying on my left arm so my right arm was out
0:21:12 > 0:21:14and my right arm weren't working.
0:21:14 > 0:21:19It was a life-defining moment but, since then, Tyler has refused
0:21:19 > 0:21:25to let his injuries limit him and he now plays sport for his country.
0:21:25 > 0:21:27I was always an outdoors person.
0:21:27 > 0:21:30I thought, "Right, that's all that bit over,
0:21:30 > 0:21:33"I ain't going to be able to do any of that again,"
0:21:33 > 0:21:36so that's the good thing about this cos I never thought
0:21:36 > 0:21:39I'd be camping in the middle of nowhere again.
0:21:39 > 0:21:42For the charity that's brought these boys to the Yukon,
0:21:42 > 0:21:44there's a bigger issue at play.
0:21:44 > 0:21:48They say society's attitude to veterans needs to change.
0:21:48 > 0:21:52The thing I always find striking is whenever we, as a charity,
0:21:52 > 0:21:56go to America, and we do things in America,
0:21:56 > 0:21:59you'll be walking down the boardwalk
0:21:59 > 0:22:02with some of the lads and cars will come past, they will stop,
0:22:02 > 0:22:06wind down their window and say, "Thank you very much, sir".
0:22:06 > 0:22:10That would never ever happen in the United Kingdom. Never.
0:22:10 > 0:22:15And I think that's the saddest thing about the country I represent.
0:22:19 > 0:22:24Even as a youngster, Ben Parkinson only had one dream.
0:22:24 > 0:22:28He was four when he first mentioned going in the Army.
0:22:28 > 0:22:31There was never anything any different for Ben - there was
0:22:31 > 0:22:34not the normal fireman, astronaut, none of that,
0:22:34 > 0:22:38Ben wanted to go in the Army and it was quite strange
0:22:38 > 0:22:41cos we've got no military history in the family
0:22:41 > 0:22:44since the Second World War, but Ben wanted to go in the Army.
0:22:46 > 0:22:50His heart was set on joining one of the Army's elite units.
0:22:50 > 0:22:54At more than six foot four, this was someone who could more than look after himself.
0:22:56 > 0:23:00Ireland was over. Basically, things had quietened down in Ireland
0:23:00 > 0:23:03and it was before the problems in the Middle East.
0:23:03 > 0:23:07There had been the first Gulf War but things were fairly quiet,
0:23:07 > 0:23:10but we did say to him, you know, this could go wrong,
0:23:10 > 0:23:15and he, the usual, sort of, "Well, I'll not be bothered,
0:23:15 > 0:23:17"will I, if I'm dead?"
0:23:17 > 0:23:21Typical young lads' thing and we sort of said, "No, Ben,
0:23:21 > 0:23:24"there are a lot worse things than being dead,"
0:23:24 > 0:23:27and that haunts me somewhat that that was
0:23:27 > 0:23:30- a conversation that we did have.- Yeah.
0:23:30 > 0:23:32He eventually joined 7 Para,
0:23:32 > 0:23:35providing artillery support for the Parachute regiment.
0:23:35 > 0:23:38Aged 18, he was in one of the first British units
0:23:38 > 0:23:42sent into Iraq during the Second Gulf War.
0:23:42 > 0:23:45Four years later he was in Afghanistan.
0:23:45 > 0:23:48He rang up the day before and said that he didn't think
0:23:48 > 0:23:51he would be going out on any more manoeuvres
0:23:51 > 0:23:55and he'd just be in Camp Bastion getting ready to come home.
0:23:55 > 0:23:57His actual words were,
0:23:57 > 0:24:01"I'm back in Bastion, I'm just cleaning the guns, waiting
0:24:01 > 0:24:03"for the Marines,
0:24:03 > 0:24:06"and I'll be home in ten days." And that was on Monday.
0:24:06 > 0:24:09And then on Tuesday, um...
0:24:09 > 0:24:11Tuesday was when it happened.
0:24:11 > 0:24:16Ben was the gunner in a Land Rover which hit an old Soviet land mine
0:24:16 > 0:24:18whilst on patrol in Helmand Province.
0:24:18 > 0:24:21Two of the soldiers in the vehicle were wounded.
0:24:21 > 0:24:23Ben's injuries were catastrophic.
0:24:25 > 0:24:29We'd come home from work, it was six o'clock in the evening,
0:24:29 > 0:24:34there was a knock on the door and I went to answer the door and through
0:24:34 > 0:24:38the glass I could see a guy in green and I wouldn't answer the door.
0:24:38 > 0:24:40I just started screaming.
0:24:40 > 0:24:45We'd been told that if two people came to the door your son or
0:24:45 > 0:24:47daughter had been killed, and I was walking,
0:24:47 > 0:24:50and I obviously knew it was bad news,
0:24:50 > 0:24:52but because there was only one there,
0:24:52 > 0:24:54I thought, "He's been injured."
0:24:54 > 0:24:57We'd just been watching the news thinking, "He's nearly back,
0:24:57 > 0:24:58"he'll be back in a few days."
0:24:59 > 0:25:03Ben's injuries were believed to be unsurvivable.
0:25:03 > 0:25:06His pelvis was fractured in two places and all
0:25:06 > 0:25:08but two fingers were broken.
0:25:08 > 0:25:11He had an open fracture of his left arm,
0:25:11 > 0:25:14as well as fractures of the vertebrae in his back.
0:25:14 > 0:25:16Every rib had been damaged.
0:25:16 > 0:25:19His jaw was also fractured as were his cheekbones
0:25:19 > 0:25:23and there were further fractures to his skull.
0:25:23 > 0:25:28In the military hospital at Camp Bastion, his legs were amputated.
0:25:28 > 0:25:31His shattered body was then brought home to the UK
0:25:31 > 0:25:35so he could die near those who loved him most.
0:25:35 > 0:25:38His legs had gone, he was laid on top of the bed
0:25:38 > 0:25:41and there were no legs.
0:25:41 > 0:25:46He had got huge wadding going up his chest.
0:25:46 > 0:25:51One of his arms, his left arm, was completely encased in bandage,
0:25:51 > 0:25:56his fingers were all bandaged, his face was swollen and black,
0:25:56 > 0:26:00and the thing that I still have nightmares,
0:26:00 > 0:26:05he had like a hammock slung under his nose catching
0:26:05 > 0:26:08the cerebral fluid that was leaking from his brain.
0:26:08 > 0:26:12And...I walked up to him
0:26:12 > 0:26:17but he was Ben and the only bit of him that I could touch was...
0:26:17 > 0:26:21Well, actually, that arm was on his right arm, from there to there,
0:26:21 > 0:26:27and there were drips and bottles and tubes and drains
0:26:27 > 0:26:32and I just walked up to him and just smiled and laughed and I said,
0:26:32 > 0:26:34"What on earth have you been doing?"
0:26:34 > 0:26:39And I just sat down with him and just kept stroking his arm.
0:26:39 > 0:26:41Ben would remain in a coma for three months.
0:26:41 > 0:26:47His war was over but a host of other battles were only just beginning.
0:26:54 > 0:26:58Given the extent of Ben's injuries, it is a miracle he's made
0:26:58 > 0:26:59it to the Yukon.
0:26:59 > 0:27:01This is a gruelling expedition
0:27:01 > 0:27:05and as we head further north the temperature is dropping.
0:27:05 > 0:27:08Life on the river is becoming more demanding.
0:27:12 > 0:27:14Mega.
0:27:18 > 0:27:21So far we've covered 80 miles but the adventure for Ben
0:27:21 > 0:27:26and his fellow amputees is entering a new phase.
0:27:26 > 0:27:27For the last few days of kayaking,
0:27:27 > 0:27:35the Yukon River has flown north, parallel to the Klondike Highway,
0:27:35 > 0:27:38and all of a sudden it's now going to change.
0:27:38 > 0:27:42The Klondike Highway will disappear off this way,
0:27:42 > 0:27:48ultimately ending in Alaska, and we are going this way, off-grid.
0:27:48 > 0:27:52This is total Canadian wilderness, which is really exciting
0:27:52 > 0:27:55because we will be miles from anywhere
0:27:55 > 0:27:59but if there's a problem, it is going to be difficult to reach us.
0:28:03 > 0:28:05As Ben spends more time in the canoe,
0:28:05 > 0:28:07his technique is constantly improving.
0:28:11 > 0:28:13Good balance, good power, apparently.
0:28:13 > 0:28:15- Are you enjoying it?- Yeah.
0:28:18 > 0:28:21But Ben's fighting spirit is hiding a problem.
0:28:21 > 0:28:23It was initially thought the open canoe would let him
0:28:23 > 0:28:26exploit his powerful upper body strength.
0:28:26 > 0:28:29His upright position, though, isn't fully supported
0:28:29 > 0:28:31and a combination of the headwinds
0:28:31 > 0:28:34and the repetitive action of paddling is playing havoc
0:28:34 > 0:28:36with his broken back.
0:28:37 > 0:28:41It's been our shortest day on the water but by far our toughest.
0:28:41 > 0:28:43The weather looks lovely now
0:28:43 > 0:28:47but on the way down it was really cold and really windy,
0:28:47 > 0:28:50and, on top of that, Ben was having problems with his back.
0:28:50 > 0:28:53We kept having to stop but because he is ahead of the flotilla,
0:28:53 > 0:28:57we all have to wait so Glyn made the decision,
0:28:57 > 0:29:00because people were getting cold with the constant stoppage,
0:29:00 > 0:29:01that some would go ahead
0:29:01 > 0:29:04and some would stay with Ben to support him.
0:29:04 > 0:29:07So we finally arrived, everyone's exhausted,
0:29:07 > 0:29:12and then we had to haul all the kayaks up from the water 15 metres
0:29:12 > 0:29:17below, up a slope like that, and believe me, they're heavy.
0:29:17 > 0:29:19Tough day.
0:29:20 > 0:29:24Quite a short day on the water but a tough day for you, mate.
0:29:40 > 0:29:44So if it was pain one to ten, where was it on the scale?
0:29:52 > 0:29:55You told me a phrase about pain recently.
0:30:11 > 0:30:14The ergonomics of where he sat in the boat and how he is able to hold
0:30:14 > 0:30:17the paddles, he's finding himself slumping further
0:30:17 > 0:30:19and further forwards so we're going to have a quick look
0:30:19 > 0:30:21at the boat, we'll try and engage it a little bit.
0:30:21 > 0:30:24We're changing the paddles he's going to use tomorrow
0:30:24 > 0:30:26so we are going to try and engage it that way round.
0:30:26 > 0:30:28But the key thing really is that he's doubled his mileages.
0:30:28 > 0:30:31The biggest training weekend we did was 42 miles on the River Wye
0:30:31 > 0:30:35over two days. We are currently at 89 miles, over three days,
0:30:35 > 0:30:37so he is significantly increasing the effort he's having to
0:30:37 > 0:30:41put in to be able to achieve the mileages we need to do.
0:30:41 > 0:30:43Tomorrow we've got a 40-mile day planned
0:30:43 > 0:30:45so we're trying to make sure he's got enough creams
0:30:45 > 0:30:48and make sure he's massaged in the right way to ensure
0:30:48 > 0:30:51he is able to continue, hopefully, in the right frame tomorrow.
0:30:51 > 0:30:52We'll clean him up best we can.
0:30:52 > 0:30:55Obviously we can only watch him fairly well.
0:30:55 > 0:30:59And it's not just the daily wear and tear on Ben's body that's a worry.
0:30:59 > 0:31:01Keeping his legs clean is a top priority.
0:31:03 > 0:31:07The idea is to slip them on and give them a shove,
0:31:07 > 0:31:13and then when Ben puts his weight on it simply drives the air
0:31:13 > 0:31:18through this one-way valve and then they stick on to the silicon fins.
0:31:18 > 0:31:21It's the first time in three days that Ben's been reunited
0:31:21 > 0:31:26with his prosthetic legs and it comes as a blessed relief.
0:31:31 > 0:31:34That's one way of putting it, isn't it?
0:31:42 > 0:31:45Ben's frustrations are understandable
0:31:45 > 0:31:49but while he takes it easy, I'm exploring our camp spot.
0:31:49 > 0:31:52Selkirk would have been buzzing during the Gold Rush,
0:31:52 > 0:31:57and although it's quiet now, it seems we are not the only visitors.
0:31:57 > 0:32:01So far all the chat about brown bears has been hypothetical
0:32:01 > 0:32:03because we haven't actually seen one yet.
0:32:03 > 0:32:07But we've just found these footprints right the way along this track
0:32:07 > 0:32:10and I know these are brown bear because if you have a look,
0:32:10 > 0:32:15there's a massive pad at the back showing a really broad foot
0:32:15 > 0:32:18and you can clearly see all the claw marks.
0:32:18 > 0:32:22That's because, unlike cats, bears cannot retract their claws,
0:32:22 > 0:32:26so they come out really clearly and I think that's the hind left foot.
0:32:26 > 0:32:32But if we walk along, that's its back left, that's its back right,
0:32:32 > 0:32:34that's its front right,
0:32:34 > 0:32:36and that is its front left,
0:32:36 > 0:32:38and casting a glance back,
0:32:38 > 0:32:43I reckon that is a bear with a gait of about two and a half metres.
0:32:43 > 0:32:44And the hilarious thing is, we are
0:32:44 > 0:32:48camping just 50 metres in that direction.
0:32:48 > 0:32:50Yikes.
0:32:50 > 0:32:54While the bears keep their distance, Ben's thoughts are never far from
0:32:54 > 0:32:59home and, using a satellite phone, he checks in with his mum Diane.
0:32:59 > 0:33:01PHONE RINGS
0:33:01 > 0:33:03Hello. How are you?
0:33:03 > 0:33:05Hello, Ben!
0:33:05 > 0:33:09- How are you doing? - Very good, thank you.
0:33:09 > 0:33:12- Are you enjoying it? - I am loving it.
0:33:12 > 0:33:15Go on, there is something everybody wants to know, have you seen
0:33:15 > 0:33:19- any bears? - No, I wrestled one.
0:33:19 > 0:33:22You've wrestled one, great.
0:33:22 > 0:33:25What about the Northern Lights?
0:33:25 > 0:33:27I've been asleep so I never saw them
0:33:27 > 0:33:32but everyone else saw it and it was incredible, apparently.
0:33:32 > 0:33:33How's the camping?
0:33:33 > 0:33:35Very cold, yes.
0:33:35 > 0:33:39- But could you sleep? - Yeah, like a baby.
0:33:41 > 0:33:43I thought that might be the case.
0:33:43 > 0:33:47Well, you be careful, we'll see you when you get back.
0:33:47 > 0:33:48See you.
0:33:51 > 0:33:55This is what Ben wanted, this is the life that Ben would want,
0:33:55 > 0:33:59and that's our job, to get him the life that he wants.
0:33:59 > 0:34:01He is off doing what he wants to do.
0:34:01 > 0:34:04Is your mum missing you, or is she glad to be shot of you?
0:34:11 > 0:34:13Are you missing her?
0:34:18 > 0:34:19- She's really proud of you. - Yes.
0:34:28 > 0:34:32Diane and Andy have sacrificed everything to get Ben where
0:34:32 > 0:34:33he is today.
0:34:33 > 0:34:35But back in 2006,
0:34:35 > 0:34:39they faced the fact that the little boy who wanted to join
0:34:39 > 0:34:43the Army was now a 22-year-old soldier fighting for his life.
0:34:43 > 0:34:48We did have the prognosis that he would never really know anyone,
0:34:48 > 0:34:51he would probably only be sat up in bed...
0:34:51 > 0:34:53They said he'd had a stroke. Um...
0:34:55 > 0:34:59..I can remember one day I'd broke down and I was sobbing
0:34:59 > 0:35:03because I wanted to see his eyes
0:35:03 > 0:35:05and I just... That is all I could think,
0:35:05 > 0:35:10I kept saying, "I just want to see his eyes", and when they started to
0:35:10 > 0:35:16take him off the sedation, there was just nothing, nothing there at all.
0:35:16 > 0:35:20After many dark months, Ben did the unthinkable.
0:35:20 > 0:35:23He started communicating by blinking,
0:35:23 > 0:35:27but as hopes rose, tensions started to develop.
0:35:27 > 0:35:31On top of Ben's injuries there is this horrendous situation
0:35:31 > 0:35:35where half of the family were saying, "Look, Ben's gone,
0:35:35 > 0:35:38"let it go, let's grieve and get on with it",
0:35:38 > 0:35:42and us who were saying, "He's not dead."
0:35:42 > 0:35:44Ben's brain injury remained a worry.
0:35:44 > 0:35:48He was transferred to another NHS unit - the Putney Hospital
0:35:48 > 0:35:53for Neuro-Disability in London, but the strain was taking its toll.
0:35:53 > 0:35:58Ben was in a ward of six people, and there were people screaming,
0:35:58 > 0:36:03"Help me" all the time, and moaning, and for the sake of the patients
0:36:03 > 0:36:07and the sake of the family, I cannot tell you what it was like at Putney.
0:36:07 > 0:36:11But I was convinced that Ben would not want to be alive in those
0:36:11 > 0:36:17circumstances and I actually thought about ending it for both of us.
0:36:17 > 0:36:22Diane was struggling to cope as Ben's situation reached a real low.
0:36:22 > 0:36:25He was eventually moved to Headley Court in Surrey where
0:36:25 > 0:36:28most of Britain's severely war-injured were being rehabilitated.
0:36:28 > 0:36:31Ben was back amongst his fellow soldiers.
0:36:31 > 0:36:34But there would be more setbacks.
0:36:34 > 0:36:38The relationship at Headley Court broke down somewhat
0:36:38 > 0:36:43in that they were very much starting to take the attitude
0:36:43 > 0:36:45Ben is now a finished product.
0:36:45 > 0:36:48His back was still broken, he couldn't walk,
0:36:48 > 0:36:52he was in the electric wheelchair, his left arm was useless,
0:36:52 > 0:36:57he had very severe ataxia, he shook all the time, he didn't speak,
0:36:57 > 0:37:01and they were saying, you know, "That's it."
0:37:01 > 0:37:04Ben's recovery, though, was far from over.
0:37:04 > 0:37:07Much of the focus up to this point had been on his brain injury
0:37:07 > 0:37:10but two and a half years after the explosion,
0:37:10 > 0:37:12surgeons attempted to fix Ben's back.
0:37:14 > 0:37:19They operated on his back on his birthday,
0:37:19 > 0:37:21on the 31st March.
0:37:21 > 0:37:24On the same day, Headley Court discharged him
0:37:24 > 0:37:27and said they wouldn't take him back for his rehabilitation.
0:37:27 > 0:37:32And on the same day he came out of the operating theatre, he had grown
0:37:32 > 0:37:39six inches in the operating theatre and he spoke his first word
0:37:39 > 0:37:41as he recovered from the anaesthetic.
0:37:41 > 0:37:46Because he was straight, his lungs could expand,
0:37:46 > 0:37:49and he started to speak. Not...
0:37:49 > 0:37:52I don't mean speak as in you and I
0:37:52 > 0:37:56but he started trying to vocalise as he came out of the anaesthetic.
0:37:56 > 0:38:00- And what was that first word? - Balloon.- Balloon!
0:38:00 > 0:38:03- Balloon.- I was just sat here trying to think what it was!- Balloon.
0:38:03 > 0:38:07How was Ben kind of mentally throughout this. Was he down,
0:38:07 > 0:38:09up or was he always positive?
0:38:09 > 0:38:11He was never down, never.
0:38:12 > 0:38:16He was always positive and...
0:38:16 > 0:38:20the doctors used to dismiss that as the brain injury.
0:38:20 > 0:38:23"Oh, well, that's because he doesn't realise how bad he is."
0:38:23 > 0:38:25Rubbish, absolute rubbish.
0:38:25 > 0:38:32He was determined and the determination we caught from him.
0:38:32 > 0:38:36Diane and Andy's determination has been relentless.
0:38:36 > 0:38:39They continue to battle with the Ministry of Defence over
0:38:39 > 0:38:41Ben's compensation.
0:38:42 > 0:38:46Back in 2009 they realised that if Ben was going to
0:38:46 > 0:38:49reach his full potential they'd have to adopt the role of full-time
0:38:49 > 0:38:54carers and their home would have to become his rehab centre.
0:38:55 > 0:38:58- REPORTER:- Where do you see yourself going in the future?
0:39:01 > 0:39:03- AUTOMATED VOICE:- 'Stay...
0:39:03 > 0:39:05'in...
0:39:05 > 0:39:07'the...
0:39:09 > 0:39:10'..Army.
0:39:10 > 0:39:12'Stay in the Army.'
0:39:12 > 0:39:16Due to his brain injury, communication was a slow process.
0:39:16 > 0:39:18- REPORTER:- Where do you get your confidence from?
0:39:18 > 0:39:24You must have an enormous amount of self belief to go through this.
0:39:25 > 0:39:27I don't know.
0:39:32 > 0:39:34'I...
0:39:34 > 0:39:36'always...
0:39:36 > 0:39:38'had...
0:39:38 > 0:39:39'it.'
0:39:39 > 0:39:42Physically, he was in a bad place.
0:39:42 > 0:39:46Few gave him any chance of walking again.
0:39:46 > 0:39:47Hello, Mum.
0:39:47 > 0:39:49But Ben and his family refused to give up.
0:39:49 > 0:39:53Come on, you are letting up, don't let him up. Finish him off!
0:39:53 > 0:39:55Overweight and out of shape,
0:39:55 > 0:39:57he threw himself into a tough physical
0:39:57 > 0:39:59and mental regime.
0:39:59 > 0:40:01Two, three, four...
0:40:01 > 0:40:03Through sheer persistence,
0:40:03 > 0:40:08and often bloody-mindedness, Ben wanted to prove the doubters wrong.
0:40:08 > 0:40:11These small physical steps were part of a major leap
0:40:11 > 0:40:16forward but for Ben there was still a long way to go.
0:40:24 > 0:40:29Back in Canada, Ben is 4 days into his 240-mile expedition
0:40:29 > 0:40:32but he's been struggling.
0:40:32 > 0:40:33- Morning, Ben. - Hello.
0:40:33 > 0:40:38Paddling in the Canadian canoe has aggravated his back injury
0:40:38 > 0:40:41but the Pilgrim Bandits think they've found a solution.
0:40:41 > 0:40:43A change of plan today.
0:40:43 > 0:40:47In order to try and help Ben's back, he is going to go in my kayak,
0:40:47 > 0:40:50I'm going to go in his canoe because the idea is
0:40:50 > 0:40:52if he's lower in the water he should be able to
0:40:52 > 0:40:57get his paddle in much easier and hopefully power forward.
0:40:57 > 0:40:59'The outcome is uncertain.
0:40:59 > 0:41:01'Ben's still in discomfort.'
0:41:23 > 0:41:26It's a new experience.
0:41:26 > 0:41:28Victor is showing me the ropes behind.
0:41:37 > 0:41:39There's more than 150 miles to go
0:41:39 > 0:41:43before we reach our final destination.
0:41:43 > 0:41:45Changing the boats round was an inspired idea
0:41:45 > 0:41:49but I'm quickly realising I'm just not as fit as Ben.
0:41:51 > 0:41:55Well, we've gone from the front of the group to the back
0:41:55 > 0:42:00because this Canadian canoe requires probably 30% more effort.
0:42:00 > 0:42:03The sun is shining, it looks like Ben is doing really well,
0:42:03 > 0:42:06he's right at the head again, which is great to see.
0:42:07 > 0:42:12When I eventually catch up, there is one question on my mind.
0:42:12 > 0:42:14How's your back?
0:42:24 > 0:42:25BEN LAUGHS
0:42:27 > 0:42:30Ben is obviously feeling a lot better.
0:42:34 > 0:42:37With Ben back in the groove, I'm appreciating the Yukon
0:42:37 > 0:42:39in its full natural glory.
0:42:39 > 0:42:43One thing is for sure, this place isn't short of trees.
0:42:43 > 0:42:46There are thousands of square miles of spruce,
0:42:46 > 0:42:49complemented by the changing colour of the aspen.
0:42:49 > 0:42:54And where there are trees, you will find one elusive animal.
0:42:54 > 0:42:59Just behind me, beaver have basically been felling these huge aspens.
0:42:59 > 0:43:02They've got the most incredible teeth that grow throughout
0:43:02 > 0:43:06the lifetime of the animal, they are impregnated with iron and they
0:43:06 > 0:43:10use them like chisels to fell these trees to create their beaver lodge.
0:43:10 > 0:43:14They are like habitat engineers and I think we've got here
0:43:14 > 0:43:17beavers that are just starting off a new home.
0:43:17 > 0:43:20The Yukon is a dream location for wildlife.
0:43:20 > 0:43:24There are more bald eagles here than you can shake a stick at,
0:43:24 > 0:43:28but they are not the only predator hanging out by the river.
0:43:28 > 0:43:31HOWLING
0:43:36 > 0:43:38Can you hear that?
0:43:38 > 0:43:46OK. We haven't seen bears yet but I'm listening to a top carnivore.
0:43:46 > 0:43:50That is the call of the wild.
0:43:50 > 0:43:54Somewhere on the other side of the Yukon River
0:43:54 > 0:43:58there is a wolf pack howling.
0:43:58 > 0:43:59That's thrilling.
0:44:00 > 0:44:03Despite the noise from locals,
0:44:03 > 0:44:06we all have no trouble getting to sleep.
0:44:12 > 0:44:15Ben, did you hear the wolves as we went to bed last night?
0:44:20 > 0:44:23A nice sound, hey? The sound of the wilderness?
0:44:38 > 0:44:39Are you missing anything,
0:44:39 > 0:44:43are you missing food or friends or family or company?
0:44:49 > 0:44:51So food first, and your mother second.
0:44:57 > 0:44:59- They come together. - Yes.
0:45:00 > 0:45:02Watch that there.
0:45:03 > 0:45:05Keep your shoulders back.
0:45:06 > 0:45:10Home life in Doncaster has played a massive part in Ben's turnaround.
0:45:10 > 0:45:14Almost every day a team of experts descend,
0:45:14 > 0:45:18getting Ben back to peak mental and physical fitness.
0:45:18 > 0:45:20We've spent years getting the body back
0:45:20 > 0:45:24so that he can weight-bear better through his legs more,
0:45:24 > 0:45:26and he's getting really good at the hang of it
0:45:26 > 0:45:29but every so often, he twists
0:45:29 > 0:45:32because it's easy for the big muscles to do that.
0:45:32 > 0:45:34The little muscles don't work as well.
0:45:34 > 0:45:36It's been painstaking work,
0:45:36 > 0:45:40rebuilding the pathways between his mind and body.
0:45:40 > 0:45:48'...27, ran through hell into insurgent machinegun fire
0:45:48 > 0:45:53'and rocket-propelled grenades three times
0:45:53 > 0:45:56'to save the injured comrades.'
0:45:58 > 0:46:02- What did you think about that one, was that better?- It was better.
0:46:02 > 0:46:04His conservatory is now his gym,
0:46:04 > 0:46:07a place where he pushes himself to the max.
0:46:07 > 0:46:08GROANING
0:46:08 > 0:46:12Come on. Get up there. And again. Come on.
0:46:12 > 0:46:15- GROANING - Two.
0:46:15 > 0:46:17Three. Come on!
0:46:17 > 0:46:19GROANING
0:46:19 > 0:46:21This one, this one, right on your chin, come on.
0:46:21 > 0:46:23Let it up. Let it up!
0:46:24 > 0:46:29For all those involved with his rehab, Ben is an inspiration.
0:46:29 > 0:46:32Get your hip pushing through so you flatten your foot.
0:46:32 > 0:46:34A little bit quicker.
0:46:34 > 0:46:38He's got the similar determination to do well that you
0:46:38 > 0:46:40see in these athletes.
0:46:40 > 0:46:44Not your normal everyday runner like me but elite athletes.
0:46:44 > 0:46:49They are determined and Ben has the same sort of determination.
0:46:49 > 0:46:54Good one, that was good. OK, let's get this last paragraph.
0:46:54 > 0:46:55'I'm happy to hear...'
0:46:55 > 0:46:57In 30 years of working,
0:46:57 > 0:47:00I have never seen anybody as determined as Ben.
0:47:00 > 0:47:02And I've never seen anybody make the progress
0:47:02 > 0:47:05so many years after the accident as Ben has made.
0:47:05 > 0:47:10Two more, keep that back straight, come on, come on. Push! One more.
0:47:10 > 0:47:11I will literally put him through hell,
0:47:11 > 0:47:14I used to have a sore throat every training session.
0:47:14 > 0:47:16Purely, being ex-military myself, putting him
0:47:16 > 0:47:18back into that mentality.
0:47:18 > 0:47:21No retreat, no surrender mentality, you know
0:47:21 > 0:47:24what I mean? So we did literally push him to his limits,
0:47:24 > 0:47:26every session, about pushing him to his limits.
0:47:26 > 0:47:29And this constant pushing of Ben is why
0:47:29 > 0:47:34he is now able to deal with most of what the Yukon has thrown at him.
0:47:34 > 0:47:38I kind of think that this is the kind of exercise that he
0:47:38 > 0:47:42would like to do if he hadn't been blown up.
0:47:42 > 0:47:45I think this is Ben.
0:47:45 > 0:47:48So the challenge of the mobility is just an added...
0:47:48 > 0:47:51It's like a bonus for him, it is something else added
0:47:51 > 0:47:54onto the excitement of what he's doing.
0:47:54 > 0:47:56He's got no fear of failure.
0:47:56 > 0:47:59The biggest thing that holds every human being back,
0:47:59 > 0:48:00the fear of failure.
0:48:00 > 0:48:03Knowing the guys he's going with personally, he's going
0:48:03 > 0:48:04to love every second of it.
0:48:04 > 0:48:06I just feel sorry for the bears.
0:48:14 > 0:48:17Ben's rehab hasn't just been a programme of blood,
0:48:17 > 0:48:21sweat and tears, he's benefited from the cutting edge of science too.
0:48:22 > 0:48:26- So how many times a week are you coming, Ben?- Four times a week.
0:48:26 > 0:48:27Four times a week.
0:48:27 > 0:48:29'At the beginning of 2015,
0:48:29 > 0:48:31'Ben was the first injured British soldier
0:48:31 > 0:48:34'to receive hyperbaric oxygen therapy.'
0:48:34 > 0:48:37Well, good luck in there, it has been nice knowing you.
0:48:42 > 0:48:43HE LAUGHS
0:48:43 > 0:48:46He always has to have the last word, doesn't he?
0:48:46 > 0:48:50'He's been breathing pure oxygen in a pressurised chamber.
0:48:50 > 0:48:54'The oxygen can help nutrients flow back into damaged cells.
0:48:54 > 0:48:57'It is hoped it will help Ben's memory, speech and balance.
0:48:59 > 0:49:04'Not a minute is wasted as the oxygen flows through his veins.
0:49:04 > 0:49:08'Ben is on his tablet playing brain-training games in an attempt
0:49:08 > 0:49:10'to improve his condition.'
0:49:11 > 0:49:14You see him day after day and know him better than anyone,
0:49:14 > 0:49:17do you see subtle changes?
0:49:17 > 0:49:18His talking is better
0:49:18 > 0:49:21but I don't notice that quite as much as everybody else because
0:49:21 > 0:49:26I can understand Ben perfectly well because I live 24/7 with him.
0:49:26 > 0:49:29The big change is just after a couple of...
0:49:29 > 0:49:33Six days, I think it was, in the chamber, Ben's legs started
0:49:33 > 0:49:37flicking uncontrollably and that was definitely nerves
0:49:37 > 0:49:40being chimed in by his brain for the very first time after
0:49:40 > 0:49:42the injury which is...
0:49:42 > 0:49:45I mean, it is amazing when you look and it's nearly nine years
0:49:45 > 0:49:48since his injury and he still making massive gains.
0:49:48 > 0:49:51It just started when we started doing the oxygen treatment,
0:49:51 > 0:49:54so it can really only be that.
0:49:59 > 0:50:02Thank you very much.
0:50:02 > 0:50:05Ben. Tell me, how did that feel?
0:50:08 > 0:50:09You're not bored in there?
0:50:22 > 0:50:24Yeah, but your lungs are feeling good.
0:50:26 > 0:50:29- Fantastic, let's get you home. - Cheers.- Well done.
0:50:33 > 0:50:35Back in the Yukon, we are all getting more than our fair
0:50:35 > 0:50:41share of fresh air. This is about as remote as it gets.
0:50:41 > 0:50:45As we continue north, the weather takes a turn for the worse.
0:50:45 > 0:50:49The sunshine's been replaced with drizzle that chills to the bone.
0:50:50 > 0:50:54It's probably only a couple of degrees above freezing.
0:50:54 > 0:50:58It's been raining quite heavily this morning.
0:50:58 > 0:51:02Everyone's tired, they are starting to wear the group down
0:51:02 > 0:51:06and on top of that we have a really long day's paddling.
0:51:06 > 0:51:09We're just going to have to tough it out. That's the only thing we can do.
0:51:09 > 0:51:12I don't know how Ben's getting on but everybody able-bodied is
0:51:12 > 0:51:13really struggling.
0:51:13 > 0:51:16The water temperature's above freezing, the air temperature
0:51:16 > 0:51:19roundabout freezing, the perfect combination for using up
0:51:19 > 0:51:21a lot of energy, so we need the breaks to make sure the guys
0:51:21 > 0:51:24get the calories in so they get lots and lots of food in to be
0:51:24 > 0:51:26able to keep themselves going as much as they possibly can.
0:51:26 > 0:51:28- This way.- Yes.
0:51:29 > 0:51:31The cold is no good for Ben's back
0:51:31 > 0:51:34and the rain isn't lightening his mood.
0:51:34 > 0:51:38- How do you feel?- OK, thank you. - You were cold this morning,
0:51:38 > 0:51:39are you warm now?
0:51:45 > 0:51:46You feel a bit warmer now.
0:51:48 > 0:51:51That's good because you were very cold this morning.
0:51:55 > 0:51:58Everyone was, yes. What about your back, how's your back doing?
0:52:14 > 0:52:17The back injury has made this a tough expedition for Ben
0:52:17 > 0:52:22but with more than 200 miles behind him, the end is almost in sight.
0:52:22 > 0:52:27As we camp for the last night, Ben knows this has been no cushy number.
0:52:27 > 0:52:29In fact, it has been a test that he
0:52:29 > 0:52:31and the Pilgrim Bandits always wanted.
0:52:39 > 0:52:41Cast your mind back to nine years ago,
0:52:41 > 0:52:45the medics said you were going home to die but here you are.
0:52:52 > 0:52:57But what you've done is you've tried to kind of confound medical opinion,
0:52:57 > 0:53:00tried to prove them wrong for yourself.
0:53:33 > 0:53:37If you could turn the clock back to five minutes before you got
0:53:37 > 0:53:40hit by the IED, would you change events?
0:53:54 > 0:53:56That's quite something to say.
0:54:05 > 0:54:08After all he has endured, Ben's attitude is both humbling
0:54:08 > 0:54:11and remarkable.
0:54:11 > 0:54:15But his Yukon adventure isn't over just yet.
0:54:15 > 0:54:19The locals call that rock there 20 Mile Rock because there's 20
0:54:19 > 0:54:24miles from Dawson City, our final destination, so it is the final push.
0:54:24 > 0:54:28We are very much on the homeward leg.
0:54:29 > 0:54:33Hot showers and warm beds are not that far away.
0:54:39 > 0:54:41Dawson City, Ben, can you see it?
0:54:42 > 0:54:44Last tiny push.
0:54:48 > 0:54:55Cold, tired, elated, and happy for Ben and the boys,
0:54:55 > 0:54:58everyone's done an amazing job, a brilliant team,
0:54:58 > 0:55:00can't wait for a cold beer now.
0:55:00 > 0:55:03It's been an epic 250 miles.
0:55:03 > 0:55:08Ben's display of inner strength is living proof of the ability
0:55:08 > 0:55:11of the human spirit to triumph over
0:55:11 > 0:55:14an adversity few of us will ever know.
0:55:17 > 0:55:19Just over nine years ago, Ben Parkinson
0:55:19 > 0:55:23put his life on the line on the battlefields of Afghanistan.
0:55:23 > 0:55:27His injuries were so severe that medical opinion
0:55:27 > 0:55:30considered his life all but over.
0:55:30 > 0:55:32So the very fact he's here in northern Canada
0:55:32 > 0:55:39and he's kayaked just over 250 miles down the mighty Yukon River
0:55:39 > 0:55:42shows he has so much more to offer.
0:55:42 > 0:55:47Ben's story is one of grit and determination to succeed
0:55:47 > 0:55:50and defy the odds so no wonder everyone is gathering
0:55:50 > 0:55:54around to mark the achievements of the wilderness warrior.
0:55:58 > 0:56:02For all these guys, to complete what they have managed to do,
0:56:02 > 0:56:05to get to here, through all that training, all the background
0:56:05 > 0:56:07work they have had to do, time in the gym,
0:56:07 > 0:56:10get themselves fit - amazing. Genuine inspiration.
0:56:11 > 0:56:13It's incredible, really,
0:56:13 > 0:56:17he's just completed 200 odd miles kayaking the Yukon River.
0:56:19 > 0:56:20Who dares wins, as we say.
0:56:22 > 0:56:25Ben's obviously got the determination
0:56:25 > 0:56:27but the whole group's done amazing.
0:56:29 > 0:56:32There's lots more goals he wants to retrieve and I'm sure he well.
0:56:32 > 0:56:35- I hope I'm there for the trip with him.- Proud of him?
0:56:35 > 0:56:38Oh, it brings tears to my eyes to think about it,
0:56:38 > 0:56:40so, yes, really proud.
0:56:40 > 0:56:43He's got the will and the Pilgrim Bandits have got the way.
0:56:43 > 0:56:45It's as simple as that.
0:56:45 > 0:56:50And we don't know what we're doing next but he'll achieve it.
0:56:50 > 0:56:52This is 250 miles almost,
0:56:52 > 0:56:55just totally off the radar even a year ago.
0:56:55 > 0:56:56So...
0:56:56 > 0:56:59Thank you very much, well done, mate.
0:56:59 > 0:57:02I am immensely proud of all our kids,
0:57:02 > 0:57:08they've all done well in their lives, but Ben, being a soldier,
0:57:08 > 0:57:13there was always something special about what Ben did.
0:57:13 > 0:57:17We were incredibly proud of what he did.
0:57:18 > 0:57:22But nothing even compares to how proud we are of the way
0:57:22 > 0:57:25that he's coped with what has happened to him.
0:57:55 > 0:57:58I don't think there's anybody who's got any doubt whatsoever -
0:57:58 > 0:58:03your talking will improve, you will walk, the sky's the limit.