Soldier Jade plays her part in Olympic success

Buy photos » Jade Brisband with Olympic gold medallist Heather Stanning. (s)

A SOLDIER from Redditch was among the thousands of men and women from the armed forces keeping visitors to London 2012 safe.

Private Jade Brisband was on duty on Monday (September 10) as Team GB's Olympic and Paralympic heroes were paraded through the capital's streets in front of up to one million people. But she did find time at the end of her shift to mingle with the athletes including Captain Heather Stanning who won gold in the rowing at Eton Dorney and also serves in 32nd Regiment, the Royal Artillery.

During the Games themselves the 18-year-old, who is attached to the Princess of Wales Royal Regiment, was busy carrying out searches and ensuring the safety of visitors and athletes.

Jade, who grew up in Winyates and Lodge Park, joined the army as a junior soldier aged just 16 years and nine months. She returns home for a brief period at the end of this month before returning to her barracks to prepare for a two month stint in the Falklands in November.

Mum Julia, who lives in Matchborough, said: "It's nice to know they have been included as a part of the Games and are getting something back from it rather than just being in the background. It's been tiring at times but really exciting and she's got some wonderful memories. She's battled long and hard to get where she has and I'm so proud of her."

ATHLETES at this summer's Paralympics were in the caring hands of a nurse from Redditch.

Anne Seaman was selected as the lead nurse at the head of the team of medics caring for the sports stars and their coaches, living in the athletes' village for three weeks during the Games.

And Anne, who now lives in Salisbury and works at the spinal centre there, even got to take part in Monday's parade (September 10) through the capital celebrating the achievements of all those taking part in London 2012.

The former Batchley resident, who attended St Bede's and St Augustine's schools, told the Standard she had first got involved in the Paralympics GB team in 2007 when she applied as a volunteer for Beijing.

In 2008 she worked in a holding camp in Macau ahead of that summer's Games, returning this year in a slightly different role in the village itself.

"I was working with the athletes and coaches in a multi-disciplinary team with three sports doctors, three nurses all with a bit of spinal injury experience and four physiotherapists," she said.

"I spent a lot of time in the Olympic Stadium as we had full accreditation so we could go in to all the venues. I also actually got to go on the parade in the first float.

"I will never experience anything like that ever again I don't suppose. It was out of this world.

"Great efforts have been made to make sure people could see the Paralympics in action. They were all together (with the Olympians) and people saw them just all as one, all athletes."

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