U.K. officer: Invictus Games aid in recovery, highlight new role for allies

This week, more than 100 British athletes are in Orlando for a week of competition on an international stage. But these men and women are more than competitors. They are service men and women who have fought on the battlefield and gained on the sports field.

In Orlando, they will compete in the Invictus Games 2016 with hopes of bringing home the gold to the country they have served.

In partnership with the Ministry of Defence, Help for Heroes, and the Royal British Legion, these British athletes will showcase their skills in adaptive sport and bring greater awareness of service personnel and veterans.
Fighting alongside his comrades in Afghanistan, as well as his American counterparts, Prince Harry saw the sacrifices of service men and women firsthand. A 2013 visit to the U.S. Warrior Games in Colorado sparked the idea for a similar event on a global scale, which he saw as a way to highlight the stories of personnel, veterans, and the families who support them back home.

It was the beginning of the Invictus Games, held for the first time in London in 2014. This week, athletes will battle for medals in 10 adaptive sports, with 500 competitors from 15 countries.

The word ‘invictus’ means unconquered: It embodies the fighting spirit of wounded, injured and sick personnel and veterans and what they can achieve post-injury or illness.
Competitions such as the Invictus Games aid in holistic healing throughout the recovery and rehabilitation process: mentally, emotionally, spiritually, physically and socially. The games serve as a reminder that there are service men and women who adapt to a new normal long after the games are over.
One service man had lost his arm and wanted to give mountain biking a try. Thanks to the team at Battle Back, they were able to adapt his bike to one hand and get him back in the saddle.

We’ve seen these practices work well. But the games have proved that there are more ways we can come together as allies tasked with supporting those who serve.
Today, Britain plays a key role in keeping the world safe. Indeed, some of the competitors were injured fighting for their countries in Iraq or Afghanistan.

At Invictus, athletes once again stand side by side with their allies. In 2011, we reaffirmed that commitment with the U.S.-U.K. task force aimed at supporting service personnel, veterans and their families.

In 2012, we solidified those aims, working together on specific initiatives and sharing best practices on medical rehabilitation, mental health, transition to civilian life, and support for military families.

So it’s fitting that our two nations have hosted the first two Invictus Games.

"The 2014 games were just the beginning of the Invictus story," Prince Harry has said. This year, the games in Orlando mark the next chapter of that story and the next stage of recovery and rehabilitation for America’s and Britain’s bravest service men and women.