A former soldier who dedicated himself to helping victims of war is working to make the Olympic dreams of disabled Bosnian athletes come true.

Ilkley businessman Vic Ferguson is preparing to welcome sportsmen and women, and their coaches, to train in modern sports facilities in Yorkshire for several months prior to this summer’s London Paralympics.

Mr Ferguson, 48, was deployed on operations in Sarajevo in 1995 and was deeply affected by the plight of children caught up in the devastating siege.

He set up a non-governmental organisation which carried out medical evacuations, sponsored kindergardens and delivered aid and medical equipment.

He was particularly touched by the plight of 11-year-old Hurmija Mujic, who he found traumatised in hospital, paralysed by mortar shell fragments.

Mr Ferguson led an appeal to bring her to Britain for treatment.

Hurmija, now in her 20s, is one of the paralympic athletes on her way to Yorkshire.

Mr Ferguson visited Hurmija and the surviving members of the Mujic family over Christmas and new year and embarked on his Olympic Dreams 2012 quest to help the athletes compete in London this year.

He said: “After witnessing the dangerous equipment that the athletes were working on I decided to try, once more, to help the people of Sarajevo and, in particular, my Bosnian princess Hurmija.”

The sportsmen and women of Sarajevo-based sports association Sportsko Drustvo Invalida Bosna Sarajevo have achieved international standards with outdated training equipment. They have done most of their training in the badly-damaged Sarajevo Olympic stadium – a shadow of its former self in its 1984 heydey, when Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean skated to a much-celebrated Winter Olympics gold medal.

Mr Ferguson is putting the final arrangements in place for them to fly to the UK and train in state-of-the-art sports facilities in the region.

He has enlisted the support of many businesses and sponsors, securing hotel accommodation, transport and gym membership. Ilkley families have also offered to play host to the visitors.

Two of the athletes, Dzevad Pandzic and Dzenita Klico, have qualified for the London Paralympics, but it is hoped that Hurmija and another athlete, Damir Muratovic, will also qualify in time.

Mr Ferguson also has his own dreams of a lasting Olympic legacy for Ilkley, including establishing links between the town and Sarajevo.