Soldiers like Cpl. Jodi Mitic, who lost both of his legs in Afghanistan, can now adjust to life with a disability with help from Paralympians.

A new program called Soldier On is connecting disabled soldiers with Paralympic athletes and coaches.

"I was wounded and lost both legs beneath the knee," Mitic told CTV News. "The changes in my life have been top to bottom because my plan for the future involved my feet."

Mitic stepped on a landmine during an early morning patrol on Jan. 11, 2007. He said he was worried about how he would adjust to life, as an athlete and soldier.

"I was looking for answers, as far as fitness goes," he said. "Lying in a hospital bed is pretty boring, and I was trying to figure out how I am going to get in shape when I can finally walk."

He was introduced to Soldier On, announced last May and recently established across Canada.

Current and former soldiers who have been disabled while serving in the Canadian Forces are trained in several sports, including sit skiing and sledge hockey.

"Our aim of the program is to optimize their physical and mental function by using sport as the vehicle to achieve that," said Greg Lagace, manager of Paralympic development.

The idea behind Soldier On is to keep soldiers active and in good health and spirits.

Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Rick Hillier says he strongly supports the initiative.

"This is awesome. This means the world to the men and women in uniform," Hillier said.

Mitic said adjusting to his new life hasn't been easy. But Soldier On has helped him embrace his rehab, by putting him in touch with Paralympic athletes for advice when he tried out a new pair of prosthetic running legs.

"I can find someone that's done it before and say, 'Is this right, is this normal?'"

Mitic says he has considered entering some Paralympic competitions, but the question is whether he will have enough time to train to get to competition level.

"I thought about getting into the running, the sprinting, because I was always a fast sprinter. It's definitely a possibility because of the Soldier On program," he said.

With a report from CTV's Graham Richardson