Sitting Grand Prix Preview (1st Feb) - sitting a positive influence for Salisbury’s Holford 

Growing up, he liked to have a go at anything, particularly enjoying fast-paced games such as rugby and lacrosse. 

Following a misdiagnosed injury when serving in the Army, he made the difficult decision to have his leg amputated in 2020. 

But though he needed to change tack, that life-changing moment has in no way dampened his enthusiasm to test himself in the sporting arena. 

Indeed, when he first took up sitting volleyball in 2023, he enjoyed the challenge of learning what was required to be successful. 

“When I first played, I was shocked at how physical the sport is,” said Charlie. “You need to move around the court quickly due to the speed the ball comes at you, so you don’t have any time to think about anything else. 

“The army helped enormously with discipline and dealing well in fast-paced environments, and I think that ultimately helped me to pick up the sport and skills so quickly.” 

After playing wheelchair rugby, Charlie started his sitting journey after it was recommended to him by a friend. 

He captained Great Britain in the Invictus Games 2023, held in Germany, and now plays regularly for Salisbury Spitfires in the Volleyball England Sitting Grand Prix. 

Charlie said: “Due to my personality, I’m often the guy to bring the energy to the team and encourage all the players in the team to perform their best.” 

“The Army taught me how to be a good leader, so I enjoy motivating everyone when we compete.” 

Ahead of this weekend’s Grand Prix fixtures, Charlie is confident in his teams’ ability to perform well. 

Adopting a weekly training schedule has, he believes, significantly aided the team’s development. 

They first take on last season’s finalists, Help For Heroes A, being first on court one. 

“We have a tough first match against Help For Heroes, but I’m excited to get on court and believe our team can come out victorious,” said Charlie.  

 Charlie is excited for what the future holds for his sitting volleyball career, with ambitions to represent team GB, having been called up to train with the international squad. 

He is also keen to see the Spitfires make progress and challenge the dominance of Sitting Bucks over recent seasons. 

“In the future, I would love to represent Team GB again, and for Spitfires to win the league, as that would be an amazing achievement for myself and the team.”

Images by Jon Cornish and Matt Alexander, Royal British Legion

Find out more about the Sitting Grand Prix here.