First up is Helensburgh woman Joanna Martin, who was left paralysed from the waist down after falling 20ft from a cargo net during a Royal Auxiliary Air Force training exercise in 2005.

The 52-year-old served as a nurse in the RAF for eight years and was deployed in Basra in 2003 to help those injured.

She was looking forward to a second tour of Iraq when the life-changing accident happened. She spent nine months at the Southern General Hospital in Glasgow before moving to the Erskine Hospital for injured service men and women.

But despite suffering a spinal injury which robbed her of the use of her legs, Joanna never lets it stop her as she campaigns for local charities and stays active by taking part in sport – particularly sailing.

In 2012 she was appointed an ambassador to the Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund (RAFBF) for her years of support for the RAF’s leading welfare charity.

The RAFBF helped Joanna with the cost of adapting her home and since then she has been a strong campaigner for the organisation.

Joanna told the Advertiser: “After my accident, I had to find somewhere else to live and the charity helped to get my house adapted so it was wheel chair friendly.

“As an ambassador I come up with ideas to help raise money, last year we raised £18 million for those in need of assistance.” Joanna is also chairwoman of the local Challenger Sailing Club, which helps disabled people get out on the water and sail.

She joined as a member three years ago and has been chair of the Helensburgh group for two years now.

The organisation currently has 12 sailors at the moment, who sail from April to September.

The group aims to promote the enjoyment of sailing by disabled people and to encourage, instruct and support disabled sailors enabling them to achieve the competence and confidence to enjoy taking charge of a Challenger afloat and ashore.

As well as being chairwoman, Joanna also fund raises for the group. She added: “There is quite a community spirit involved with the club, we raise money for the club and to help fund a new rescue boat.

“Some of the group will never be able to sail on their own, some have advanced MS and they go out on the water with a buddy to help them.

“We have 10 sailing days during April to September but we also meet outside of this time to organise events and the general working of the club.” Despite being left in a wheelchair, Joanna enjoys taking part in sport herself and keeping active.

She participates in 10k events on her hand bike and enjoys cycling along Helensburgh sea front and in and around the streets in town.

Joanna has managed to get tickets to the athletics and is hoping to catch paralympian David Weir.