Derek Derenalagi (born 3 October 1974) is a British Paralympic

discus throw The discus throw (), also known as disc throw, is a track and field sport in which the participant athlete throws an oblate spheroid weight (object), weight called a discus in an attempt to mark a further distance than other competitors. It is a ...

er and former soldier.

Early life

From Nakavu Village in

Nadi, Fiji Nadi (, ) is the second-largest city in Fiji. It is located on the western side of the main island of Viti Levu, and had a population of 59,707 at the most recent census, in 2017. Nadi is multiracial with many of its inhabitants Asians, Indi ...

, Derenalagi was born to a single mother and was raised by his grandmother.

Military service

Derenalagi joined the

British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...

in 1999. As Fiji was part of the British Empire from ~1870-1970, there is a well-established tradition of Fijians joining the British armed forces. For example, thousands of Fijians served as part of New Zealand and Australian units during WW2. In July 2007 he was on a tour of duty in

Helmand Province Helmand (Pashto language, Pashto/Dari language, Dari: ; ), also known as Hillmand, in ancient times, as Hermand and Hethumand, is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, in the south of the country. It is the largest province by area, covering ...

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...

, when his vehicle was hit by an

improvised explosive device An improvised explosive device (IED) is a bomb constructed and deployed in ways other than in conventional warfare, conventional military action. It may be constructed of conventional military explosives, such as an artillery shell, attached t ...

(IED) as it travelled to a helicopter landing site. On return to

Camp Bastion Camp Shorabak (formerly Camp Bastion) is a former British Army airbase, located northwest of the city of Lashkargah in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. The camp was situated in a remote desert area, far from population centres. The camp was buil ...

he was pronounced dead, but whilst preparing his body for a body bag, medical staff found that he still had a pulse. As a result of the injuries he sustained, both of Derenalagi's legs were amputated above the knee. In a coma, he was flown back to the UK where, nine days later, he woke up in

Selly Oak Hospital Selly Oak Hospital was a hospital situated in the Selly Oak area of Birmingham, England. Previously managed by the University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, the hospital closed in 2011. History Origins The site was originally sel ...

, Birmingham.

Athletics

Derenalagi is part of the

Ministry of Defence A ministry of defence or defense (see American and British English spelling differences#-ce.2C -se, spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and Mi ...

's Battle Back programme, funded by the

Help for Heroes Help for Heroes is a British charity which supports members of the British Armed Forces community with their physical and mental health, as well as their financial, social and welfare needs. The charity was founded in 2007 by Bryn and Emma Parry ...

charity. As part of the scheme he took part in a 2009 training camp at the

United States Olympic Training Center The United States Olympic & Paralympic Training Centers (OPTCs) are two campuses created by the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) as training facilities for its Olympic and Paralympic athletes. They are located in Colorado Spr ...

Chula Vista Chula Vista ( ; , ) is a city in San Diego County, California, United States. It is the second-most populous city in the San Diego metropolitan area, the seventh-most populous city in Southern California, the 15th-most populous city in the ...

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

. He competes in the F57 Paralympic disability category for athletes with spinal cord injuries and amputations. At the 2012 IPC Athletics European Championships in the Netherlands, Derenalagi won the gold medal in the F57/58 discus. His winning throw of came in the final round of the competition and earned him a score of 826 points, enough to beat Russian F58 world champion and world record holder Alexey Ashapatov, whose throw of scored him 795 points. Derenalagi was selected to represent

Great Britain at the 2012 Summer Paralympics Great Britain competed at the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London, United Kingdom, from 29 August to 9 September 2012 as the host nation. A total of 288 athletes were selected to compete along with 13 other team members such as sighted guides. The c ...

as part of a 49-member squad for athletics. He competed in the men's F57–58 discus event, which was held on 31 August 2012 in the

Olympic Stadium ''Olympic Stadium'' is the name usually given to the main stadium of an Olympic Games The modern Olympic Games (Olympics; ) are the world's preeminent international Olympic sports, sporting events. They feature summer and winter sports ...

. He is the first Fijian selected to represent Great Britain in the Paralympics.

Speaking

Derenalagi is an inspirational speaker and regularly speaks at schools, charity events, and businesses across the UK to talk about overcoming adversity, and achieving goals. He is represented by the speaking agency Military Speaker

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Derenalagi, Derek 1974 births Living people Fijian emigrants to England British Army personnel of the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) Mercian Regiment soldiers British amputees British male discus throwers Athletes (track and field) at the 2012 Summer Paralympics Paralympic athletes for Great Britain British people of I-Taukei Fijian descent