ROYAL Marine Jimmy Hill has raced round the track at Silverstone earlier this month – with a little help from the Aaron Lewis Foundation.

Jimmy, 34, is competing in the Fun Cup endurance championship as part of Team Brit, which is made up of wounded service personnel.

He is also the proud owner of a bespoke racing suit provided by the Aaron Lewis Foundation

The dad of two said: “If it wasn’t for the ALF, I would not have been able to fund the cost of kit and equipment. [ALF trustee Lt Col (Rtd)] Steve Fraser was the person who introduced me to the ALF and I plan to get a few of them down to a Fun Cup race as they have given me great support.

Cpl Hill served in Afghan and Gulf Commando/Fleet protection group. It was while in Afghanistan in December 2013 that he was hit by machine gun fire.

He explained: “We got into a firefight and I was hit by a PKM four times in the legs, one on the helmet and another two leaving me with flesh wounds.

“I was removed from the fight and treated by one of our medics. Forty minutes later, the American Pedro was airborne with me and another colleague in it.”

Jimmy was left with a fractured femur, damaged calf and damaged sciatic nerve due to the gunshot wounds.

He added: “American surgeons decided to operate to insert a femoral nail as they were worried the femur neck may not make the trip home due to blood loss.”

Married Jimmy returned from Camp Bastion to Queen Elizabeth Hospital on Christmas Eve 2013. He is now doing well in rehab at Headley Court and is looking forward to a career away from the military later this year.

Before that, he has the matter of the Fun Cup with Team Brit, whose other members include Warren McKinlay, 35, (former L/Cpl Recovery Mechanic Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers), Tony Williams, 32, (former Cpl Queen Alexandra Royal Army Nursing Corps), and Andy Searle, 24, (former Rifleman in the Rifles Regiment.

Jimmy and Tony teamed up in car 158 for the first round at Silverstone earlier this month and finished their first ever competitive race in 22^nd.

He said: “I’m really enjoying myself and my times were improving throughout the whole session. I can’t wait to get back out on track.”

Jimmy, who is married to Irene and has kids Nikita, 17, and Alexandra, two, won’t have long to wait with the next round taking place at Oulton Park, Cheshire, on May 6^th.

Of the support from the ALF, he said: “I am so grateful that words just aren’t enough. I hope that I will be able to help the Foundation in any way I can in the near future.”

You can find out more about Team Brit at teambrit.co.uk and the Fun Cup at funcup.co.uk