TV presenter JJ Chalmers has recently revealed that the pilot who flew him to the Paralympics in Tokyo was the same pilot who flew him out of Afghanistan. JJ a former Royal Marine, was stationed in Afghanistan back in 2011. He was severely injured from an IED bomb blast and was immediately taken back to the UK by a hospital plane flown by a certain David Ellis.
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David Ellis, when told he’ll be flying someone to Tokyo for the Paralympics, checked the passenger manifest to see if he recognises any names. When he saw the name JJ Chalmers, something immediately clicked. David then searched up the name JJ Chalmers on the internet and saw that he was injured in Afghanistan on the 27th of May 2011. He then went to check his old RAF flying log and, after doing the math, noticed that he had previously flown JJ back to the UK.
In an interview with 5 Live Breakfast, JJ recalls when he was told this news. He recalled: “She sort of brought me to one side… she said, ‘Mr Chalmers, am I right in saying you served in Afghanistan?’ And I was like, ‘Where is this going? What is going on here?‘
“And she said, ‘Our pilot actually flew you back from Afghanistan, flew you back into the UK when you were injured 10 years ago, and he’s noticed that and he’d like you to come this way, he’s going to take the plane off and then he’s going to come and have a word with you.’
“And I burst into tears, that was my reaction to that.”
After Afghanistan and his serious injury, JJ went on to forge an impressive career in media becoming a TV presenter. He was chosen to be Channel 4’s official journalist at the Paralympics, a task he describes as his dream job. He is also a medallist at the Invictus Games, an event founded by Prince Harry where injured or sick servicemen or woman compete.
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