Age: 38
Born: Nadi, Fiji
Sport: Discus
1. Five years ago, Private Derek Derenalagi lost his legs on tour in Afghanistan in an explosion that almost claimed his life in 2007. A shard of metal ripped through his chin knocking out teeth, his left leg was blown away and his right leg hung by a thread.
2. The blast put him in a coma. He awoke after bring flown back to the UK where, nine days later, he woke up in Selly Oak Hospital, Birmingham.
3. After, his injury the already keen athlete threw himself into sports that focused on upper body strength, such as shot put, discus, javelin, sitting volleyball, wheelchair rugby, swimming and archery.
4. While he was previously a keen rugby player, Derek has now chosen to focus on the discus in the Paralympics.
5. Private Derenalagi has ambitions to work as a fitness instructor.
6. He was born to a single mother and was raised by his grandmother.
7. He comes into the Paralympics on a high after a gold medal triumph in June's European Championships in Holland, where he beat Russia's Paralympic champion.
8. He is the first Fijian selected to represent Great Britain in the Paralympics.
9. Private Derenalagi trains for seven hours a day at Lee Valley near Enfield.
10. Of being selected to compete in the London 2012 Paralympics, he says: "I'm still on cloud nine. Five years ago I lost my legs, so to me it's like a dream come true."
