A MAN who had a stroke at the age of 48 and lost the use of his left arm has become a shooting star.

Mick Kirby, from Uckfield, competes in clay pigeon shooting around the world.

He has just won a silver medal in a competition where he was the only one-armed shooter among 40 competitors and two bronzes in the English Open Championships.

His success is all the more astonishing as he is left-handed and has had to learn to shoot with his right arm.

His lower left arm was amputated three years ago.

The father of five, who was also left with a partially functioning left leg, says his disability has led him into a new career as an instructor and a qualified referee in nine different disciplines and it has made him more adventurous. Next week he plans to climb over the roof of the London events arena 02 in aid of a charity.

“When one door closes, another one opens – you just have to find the key,” said Mick, who is now 59. “I’ve had the chance to meet others in the same situation, got a lot of mental stimulation and a boost to my confidence, and it has made me more adventurous.”

The former heating engineer, who lives with his wife Jackie Webber, credits the charity Sportability, which helps people with paralysis take part in sporting activities and other challenging pursuits, for introducing him to shooting.

He said: “After I heard about Sportability, I went to a canoeing event in Hampshire. It was enjoyable, but it didn’t really excite me too much.

“Then I heard there was a shooting event a couple of weeks later. I went along event though I didn’t think I would be able to shoot one-handed.

“They gave me a light-weight 20-gauge gun to start with and I was able to hit a few of the clays. I then tried a 12-gauge and hit a few more. It really excited me, and I looked for a local club and had some lessons.

“Now, according to my wife, I live, eat, sleep and breathe shooting. The Sportability experience has really contributed to my ongoing recovery from stroke.”

Mick recalls his stroke happening as he was driving on the A26 at 50mph. “There was no warning,” he said. “My arm went tingly and then my leg, and that’s when I thought it was more serious.

“The van I was driving hit the kerb and I stopped and tried to phone an ambulance but I had lost the use of my voice. I was near a friend’s house and managed to get there and he called an ambulance.”

Mick was taken to hospital and he spent weeks in a rehabilitation unit. He said: “By the time I left, I managed to walk out but I couldn’t walk properly for the next 18 months or so.”

Now a part-time horticulture and merchandising manager at South Brockwells Farm Shop in Little Horsted, Mick is part of the national disability sports organisation LimbPower.

He plans to climb the roof of the O2 to raise money for the LimbPower Junior Games, run for youngsters with a physical impairment.

“I’m doing all sorts of activities I never thought I would do again,” he said.