Lieutenant James Champion flew Gazelle helicopters for the Army on dangerous reconnaissance missions after the end of the Bosnian War. The frequent stress of being targeted by surface-to-air missiles combined with the sleep deprivation of living in an operational conflict zone, eventually took its toll on James's mental health and he was medically discharged.

Life outside the military has been challenging for James, who has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and suffered many stress-induced conditions over the years, including being diagnosed with bipolar disorder. But, true to his character, he continues to fight back, working in health and social care so that he can use his experiences to support others.

The support to succeed

While James was able to follow his childhood dream of flying helicopters, there was always another long-held dream which he wanted to explore.

“I wanted to study law since I witnessed a burglary when I was nine years old,” explains James. “I gave evidence in court; the man was convicted, and I was given a commendation. When I left school at 18, I did not have the right grades to study law, and I wanted to get straight to Sandhurst anyway for Officer Training, so I followed that instead.”

After he was discharged from the military, James’ partner encouraged him to explore opportunities to study, which is where he discovered the OU’s Disabled Veterans’ Scholarships Fund online. This pioneering fund provides free education and wraparound disability support for veterans like James who want to pursue fulfilling lives outside the military. James applied and, to his delight, he began studying Law with the OU in 2019.

“I am delighted, and tell everyone who wants to listen, and even those who don’t! My sister is a barrister, and her husband is a lawyer also.”

Focussing on the future

James gained a distinction in his first year and is now into his second of six years of studies. He says that he thoroughly enjoys the challenge of learning and that focussing on his assignments can be a useful and much-needed distraction.

“I am studying for my own benefit, I want to prove that I am not thick, and that I can apply myself to education and studies. I find it really difficult to concentrate with my mental health sometimes; I have struggled with work/life balance since starting the course, as I was promoted at work at the same time. However, I thoroughly enjoy completing my assignments and focusing on them; it distracts me from my job, which I need to do as it causes me stress, which triggers my illness.”

James says that wherever his qualification takes him, he intends to use it to help others.

“I'm extremely grateful to have been awarded my scholarship, thank you with all my heart. I now want to give back and I know many more disabled veterans feel exactly the same.”

Supporting military heroes like James

Thank you to everyone who donated to the DVSF through The Big Give and helped us to reach our match-funding goal. Though the match-funding part of the campaign has ended, we would still be hugely grateful for any support you can give to the Disabled Veterans' Scholarships Fund. Your gifts fund scholarships so that more disabled veterans like James can receive life-changing access to education and wraparound disability support. It really does make the world of difference for a student like James looking for a fresh start, so please donate if you can.