{"id":24923,"date":"2024-04-03T15:20:51","date_gmt":"2024-04-03T14:20:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ounews.co\/?p=24923"},"modified":"2024-04-03T15:20:51","modified_gmt":"2024-04-03T14:20:51","slug":"my-scholarship-has-equipped-me-with-the-confidence-to-navigate-my-future-ill-always-be-grateful","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/student-stories\/my-scholarship-has-equipped-me-with-the-confidence-to-navigate-my-future-ill-always-be-grateful\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018My scholarship has equipped me with the confidence to navigate my future \u2013 I\u2019ll always be grateful\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

Inspired by his father\u2019s military career, Open University Sports Fitness and Coaching<\/a> student Dan, 38, had an unwavering desire to serve his country in the armed forces. When a catastrophic accident led to the loss of his right arm and shoulder, Dan was forced to rewrite his future.<\/p>\n

Dan reveals that \u00a0The Open University\u2019s Disabled Veterans\u2019 Scholarship Fund<\/a> has helped him unlock possibilities and opportunities that align with his passion for sports and fitness. He\u2019s now pushing the envelope of what he\u2019s capable of, while exploring the uncertain yet thrilling career path ahead.<\/p>\n

Following in his father\u2019s footsteps<\/strong><\/h2>\n

At 17, Dan was ready to follow through with the plan he\u2019d had since he was a young child.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe day I left school, I literally walked out of the gates and kept going until I reached the Army Careers Office,\u201d Dan recalls. \u201cI joined the King\u2019s Troop, Royal Horse Artillery and with my dad\u2019s advice to learn a trade in mind, set my sights on becoming a farrier.\u201d<\/p>\n

In 2007, to get some operational experience under his belt, Dan left the ceremonial grandeur of his London posting behind to serve in Afghanistan.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy role was to engage with the local population and recruit those who wanted to be interpreters,\u201d Dan explains. \u201cIt was exciting, but dangerous work. Shortly after returning from Afghanistan, I trekked through the rugged terrains of Northwestern Nepal \u2013 I was thrilled to see a bit of the world.\u201d<\/p>\n

The accident<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Back on his home turf two years later, Dan was preparing for The Queen\u2019s Birthday Parade, when a serious motorcycle accident turned his world upside down.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe first I remember of the accident was waking up in hospital a few days later,\u201d Dan remembers. \u201cI looked over to my right and could only see a pillow where my right arm should have been. I later learned, I\u2019d also broken both ankles and my left arm.\u201d<\/p>\n

With incredible resilience and positivity, Dan embarked on an extensive programme of rehabilitation and managed to return to work.<\/p>\n

\u201cI made it back to my regiment, but even then, I knew that I would never realise my ambition of becoming a farrier,\u201d says Dan. \u201cThree years later, I was medically discharged. My aspirations were crushed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Life after the Army<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Transitioning to civilian life proved challenging for Dan and his mental health spiralled.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Army meant everything to me, I lost my sense of belonging, self-worth and identity,\u201d Dan shares. \u201cWhen I hit rock-bottom, it was only the love of my parents and wider family that kept me going.\u201d<\/p>\n

Yet in this time of despair, Dan\u2019s indomitable spirit prevailed and he found the strength to grab some amazing opportunities for adventure.<\/p>\n

\u201cI learned to fly a plane, qualified as a scuba diver spent an entire year trailing and training to row across the Atlantic Ocean and crucially, found sanctuary in cycling,\u201d says Dan. \u201cThis led to me competing in the 2018 Invictus Games and the Race Across America in 2022. I felt that with every pedal stroke I was breaking down barriers and proving that limitations exist only to be overcome.\u201d<\/p>\n

A new adventure<\/strong><\/h2>\n

While training for the gruelling 3,000-mile race, Dan discovered a passion for sports performance management that sparked the new direction he was looking for in life.<\/p>\n

\u201cI started to look for ways I could align my experience with an academic qualification. I was driven by my love of sport and the desire to understand the physiology behind it,\u201d said Dan. \u201cA military charity I was involved with told me about the OU\u2019s Disabled Veterans\u2019 Scholarship Fund<\/a> and I was so thankful when my application was accepted.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now in his second year of study, Dan reflects on what the scholarship means to him.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe experience so far has been nothing short of revelatory, offering me a perspective on learning my younger self could never have imagined.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dan adds, \u201cI always felt like a secondary school failure, so the fact that I\u2019m achieving high grades at degree level is a testament to how far I\u2019ve come. Scoring 90% on my most recent Tutor Marked Assignment is a source of immense pride. The OU has equipped me with a broader perspective and the confidence to navigate my future.\u201d<\/p>\n

Message for donors<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Dan would like to express his \u201chuge gratitude\u201d to the OU\u2019s amazing community who make scholarships possible:<\/p>\n

\u201cTo do something so generous for someone you don\u2019t know is one of the greatest gifts. Your generosity has not only alleviated financial burdens but has also reignited my belief in the possibilities that lie ahead. Thank you for providing me with this chance to redefine my narrative and explore the untapped potential within.\u201d<\/p>\n

Inspired by Dan’s story?<\/h2>\n

Every donation<\/a> helps to deliver the OU’s mission of making education open to all. Head to the Open Futures Fund page<\/a> to discover more about the scholarships provided as a result of the OU community’s incredible generosity.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Inspired by his father\u2019s military career, Open University Sports Fitness and Coaching student Dan, 38, had an unwavering desire to serve his country in the armed forces. When a catastrophic accident led to the loss of his right arm and shoulder, Dan was forced to rewrite his future. Dan reveals that \u00a0The Open University\u2019s Disabled […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":24924,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[1525,1640,1643,2142],"class_list":["post-24923","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-student-stories","tag-news-home","tag-ou-home","tag-ou-news","tag-student-stories"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24923","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24923"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24923\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/24924"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24923"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24923"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24923"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}