A serving RAF medic has opened up about her rare medical diagnosis and how it has changed her life as she prepares to compete in the Invictus Games. Mina Endeley, from Greylees, near Sleaford, joined the British Army as a medical cadet straight out of medical school and later moved to the Royal Air Force where she's now a senior medical officer.
Several years ago Mina developed an uncommon autoimmune condition called Lupus, where the body's immune system attacks your own tissues and organs. This can cause joint and muscle pain, skin rashes and tiredness.
She said it feels like "every so often my joints decide they're not playing ball." Due to this the 44-year-old hasn't been able to give 100 per cent to her role like she used to, and has suffered with a loss of identity due to being restricted in what she can or cannot do.
Reflecting on her first posting, which was in Iraq, Mina recalls: "One day I was sent out on an op, arrived at an armoured tank and opened the door to the faces of these young people. They saw me and said 'oh thank goodness we have a doc', and my heart melted.
"I thought 'these are your people, this is where you belong'." Mina is now part of the Royal British Legion's Team UK which will be competing at the Invictus Games in Canada this month.
The Royal British Legion and Ministry of Defence are supporting Team UK and its 62 competitors, who are all wounded, injured and sick serving Armed Forces personnel and veterans. The multi-generational team includes participants from all services and it is hopes that the games in Vancouver Whistler will contribute towards their recovery.
Mina has recently joined her fellow competitors, including Afghanistan and Iraq veterans who experienced life-changing injuries and illnesses, at a final training camp ahead of their departure on Thursday, February 6. She will be competing in Alpine skiing, skeleton, indoor rowing and swimming in the games.
The 44-year-old said: "Before Invictus, I was chasing the big 6 marathons around the world, that was my focus. When I got them all done there was a real vacuum, and a huge low that came with that. My practice manager asked me if I'd thought about Invictus, and I had a picture of Invictus only being for people who were injured in war, but it's not."
Mina has described her Invictus journey so far as "that feeling of belonging and when you identify with people, despite all having such different stories and all dealing with our own demons and that the best way to get through it is together". The RAF medic added: "As long as I put my head on the pillow at the end of every day and think I gave it all that I had, I think I'll be happy with that.
"My attitude to the whole journey is tackling it all one little bit at a time. It's about pushing my boundaries and growing with people. This kind of environment is where you make the kind of friendships that you only do on deployment, and an experience you can't explain to anyone else that you share with your group of people."
Royal British Legion's Team UK manager, Louise Assioun, added: "Our competitors all share something very unique, they're all from the Armed Forces and they've all been through some pretty big life challenges, which can include having to deal with issues like trauma, amputations, complex PTSD and coping with the experiences of combat zones.
"There's also something very special about the Invictus Games, which brings many nations together to compete, so it's a great opportunity for them to be part of a team again and represent their country. The Games are an important part of their recovery - the pride they feel in taking part can literally transform lives - and the Royal British Legion, in partnership with the MOD, is incredibly proud to support Team UK at the Invictus Games."