Lisa Johnston of Team U.K., who received the gold medal in shot put, advised Prince Harry: "I'm a bit of a hugger".
What's better than a gold medal at the Invictus Games? A congratulatory hug from Meghan Markle and Prince Harry!
After Lisa Johnston of Team U.K. earned gold in the shot put competition, she draped the Union Jack around her shoulders and shared a sweet embrace with the Duke of Sussex, who introduced her with the medal.
"I was once simply amazed to win the gold," Johnston tells PEOPLE. "Prince Harry coming over had this huge smile on his face. I said, 'I'm sorry, I'm a bit of a hugger,' and he said, 'No problem,' and he offers me a hug. It was incredible."
After a "celebratory dance," Johnston obtained a 2d embrace from both Harry and Meghan. She says the couple "both simply came in and gave me this big hug."
Johnston joined the Army in 2001 as a scientific technician and served 17 years. After injuring herself for the duration of a bodily remedy session in 2014, she developed a situation called complex regional ache syndrome.
"The solely way I can pleasant describe it is having a million paper cuts, rubbed down with alcohol gel, rubbed with sandpaper and set on fire,".
In June 2016, she had her leg amputated to relieve the pain.
After becoming a member of a gym and connecting with the Invictus Games, Johnston commenced to find frequent floor with different competitors.
"Being with like-minded people, you talk, you relate to similar situations. It was a laugh," she says. "The morale you neglected from being in the forces, it used to be there again. It alternatives you up. You have a proper giggle."
The Invictus Games in The Hague marked the first time that the mom of three boys had her two youngest sons watch her run.
"I bought ideal emotional," she says. "My boys saw me run, and I noticed how proud they have been of me. I'm mum at the end of the day. I choose to make my children proud. This complete experience, I individually don't see what all the fuss is about, due to the fact I'm simply mum."
Johnston additionally held a teddy endure with a prosthetic leg while celebrating her shot put win.
"I've received a little mascot for me, I've got Ted. Teddy's like me," she says. "When I'm not with my kids, I can hug Ted, and I am hugging them."
She adds, "If I didn't have a family, hand on my heart, I would no longer be here. That's a scary factor to assume about. It's my household that acquired me through this. As a mum, I do not have the luxury of feeling sorry for myself."
The day ahead of their hug, Johnston met Prince Harry at the Jaguar Land Rover Driving Challenge — joking that after two meetings, he's "my best mate — he can't end following me around."
Johnston also proficient Prince Harry with a keyring.
"I said, 'Hi, I'm a mum, artsy-crafty, I've been making keyrings in yellow and black for Invictus and the key fob says by no means provide up.' I said, 'I've made one for you.' "
Tags: Queen, Prince Charles, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Prince William and Kate Middleton, Prince Charles, Prince Harry, Meghan
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