A NAVY veteran who can walk without pain for the first time in 25 years - and her son who has just published his first children’s book - are celebrating by planning a trip of a lifetime.

Tracey Blake, 50, badly damaged her spine on an alpine training exercise in France. The former mountaineer went from triathlon competitor to recluse after she was medically discharged following 10 years in the military.

With support from Help for Heroes, she’s hoping to lace up her hiking boots again - combining her love of mountains with her autistic son Luke’s passion for trains, they are planning a ride along the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway.

Luke has already penned book one of the Tales of the Elderberry and Fae Valley Railway series.

There are going to be at least six books in the series; he is also planning to write three novels for young adults with Tracey.

Tracey explained: “Leaving the Navy hit me hard as I felt like I’d lost my identity and I was in constant, chronic pain.

"I was trying to supress a lot of mental and physical issues and I bottled them all up.

"I had real anger issues, I shouted a lot and I became a hermit. It was a very dark time in my life.

“Emily Heney, a Veterans’ Community Nurse at Help for Heroes recognised I needed help with my sleep and mental health support - at first, I didn’t think I was worthy as I didn’t go to war whilst I was serving but I knew I needed psychological support and it really helped with me.

“As well as having muscular-skeletal issues I’ve chronic arthritis in both my ankles. Help for Heroes recommended a certain leg brace and it has changed my life.”

Help for Heroes could fund a brace for her other leg, which would not be available on the NHS.

The charity is urging the Government to reinstate the Veterans’ Mobility Fund so that many more veterans like Tracey can continue to thrive in their recovery from injury and illness.

Tracey added: “I’ve turned 50 and my life is starting again, I’ve now got hope for the future.

"As a former mountaineer I’ve always wanted to climb the Himalayas and Luke wants us to go there on a Darjeeling Himalayan Railway journey.”