A combat medical technician who suffered life-changing injuries during a mission has teamed with TV presenter and mathematician Carol Vorderman to share their experiences of overcoming adversity.

Newly-married Simon Harmer from Windsor lost his legs while serving in Afghanistan and only two months later was walking on prosthetic limbs. During his recovery, he developed the idea of a series of podcasts featuring celebrities and members of the public who have overcome significant physical and mental challenges.

He appears with Carol in one of the Resilience Sessions podcasts with Carol.

Simon said: “Throughout my rehabilitation in hospital, the days were busy with visits, doctors and physical recovery, but at night it became a very lonely and sad place. I wanted to put in my headphones and listen to something positive that would give me a sliver of hope and be part of a positive conversation.”

In October 2009 Simon was seriously injured while clearing some compounds and thought he would die. He said: “I’d only been married for 87 days and I couldn’t stand the thought of leaving my wife alone. There’s being scared but then there’s experiencing all-encompassing physical fear, like I felt in Afghanistan.

“Overcoming obstacles is not a game of top trumps, everyone has their own struggles which are significant to them. I’ve received help from so many people, so I wanted to replace what I’d taken and make sure it was there for the next person. It’s been ten years since my injury, so thousands have helped me on my journey to get here today.

Carol Vorderman also used the obstacles in her way to inspire her into becoming a strong female role model.

She said: “My Mum ran off to the circus once and took me with her - I was nine and we lived in a room with a broken window opposite a prison. I knew I had to use everything I could to be independent and resilient. Hardship gave me a fire and a fight.”