A FORMER Army captain has completed a gruelling Ironman UK triathlon.

Rob Cromey-Hawke, of Cowling, near Keighley, was among about 20 service personnel, who have suffered life-changing injuries or illness, who took part in the event in Bolton.

It was one of the final training sessions before selection of the Help for Heroes team to take on the Enduroman Arch to Arc challenge in September.

The Ironman triathlon consists of a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride and a marathon run.

"It was a long hard day but amazing support got me round in 14 hours 49 minutes," said Mr Cromey-Hawke.

"It was an amazing weekend with inspirational people achieving extraordinary things."

The triathlon is widely considered one of the most difficult one-day sporting events in the world.

For those who are selected, the Arch to Arc ultra-distance triathlon requires relay teams to run 87 miles from Marble Arch, London, to the Dover coast, to swim across the Channel, and finish with an 181-mile bike from Calais to the Arc de Triomphe, Paris. It has never been attempted by a disabled team before.

Mr Cromey-Hawke was injured during his second tour of Afghanistan in 2012 when the vehicle in which he was travelling drove over an Improvised Explosive Device.

He suffered a brain injury leading to a permanent loss of hearing, balance problems and dizziness, and damaged his back.

The keen triathlete was provided with a high-performance recumbent trike and racing wheelchair - thanks to funding from Help for Heroes.

Last month he captained a 40-strong British Armed Forces team, supported by Help for Heroes, which competed in the Warrior Games in Virginia.

He won four gold medals and one silver in swimming and a gold in cycling.