AN INSPIRATIONAL former Army captain has won two national awards.

Rob Cromey-Hawke, who was injured while serving in Afghanistan in 2012, has scooped the accolades in the first Nationwide Resettlement Awards.

The honours recognise the achievements of service leavers who have successfully made the transition from the Armed Forces to civilian life.

Mr Cromey-Hawke, 32, suffered a brain injury and damaged his back after the vehicle he was in drove over an improvised explosive device.

He was left with permanent hearing loss, balance problems and dizziness.

Since the incident he has tackled a series of gruelling challenges and raised thousands of pounds for the Help for Heroes charity, which nominated him for the awards.

In a ceremony at Manchester, he received the prizes for service leaver of the year and excellence demonstrated in the face of adversity during resettlement.

Awards were handed over by BBC Breakfast presenter Bill Turnbull.

"I feel humbled and it's lovely to be recognised," said Mr Cromey-Hawke, of Cowling, near Keighley.

"I was surprised to be nominated, but it's been a great year. I have achieved a lot and I just hope I can inspire others to go out and grasp life and make the most of it."

He was chosen to captain the British Armed Forces team earlier this year at the Warrior Games in the US, where he won five gold medals to add to the two he secured at the Invictus Games last year.

And in September he made history by being part of the first disabled team to complete the Arch to Arc endurance triathlon.

Mr Cromey-Hawke and the other competitors had to run 87 miles, swim the English Channel then cycle 181 miles to the Arc de Triomphe.

The group finished in a time of 47 hours and 55 minutes and raised more than £11,500 for Help for Heroes, which supports injured British troops and their families.

As well as excelling in sport, Mr Cromey-Hawke has helped establish a military-specific branch of Headway UK – the specialist brain injury charity – and has embarked on a successful career as a motivational speaker and leadership development professional.

He is expecting his first child with partner Karen in January, but does not envisage an end to his hectic life.

"I plan to continue with my leadership development work and motivational speaking and I expect there will be another endurance sporting challenge for me to train for," he said.

"I am hoping to be selected for the Invictus Games next year."

The resettlement awards were created by Pathfinder International and sponsored by Nationwide.