Unconquered find new glory at Invictus Games
In his darkest moment as an infantry soldier, Dean West lost five Digger mates and was haunted for years by the tragedy that took their lives. But West could never have foreseen that tragedy would lead to a personal meeting with royalty a quarter-of-a-century later in Sydney.
IN his darkest moment as an infantry soldier, Dean West lost five of his Digger mates and was haunted for years by the tragedy that took their lives. But West could never have foreseen that the fatal accident during a training exercise in Malaysia would lead to a personal meeting with royalty a quarter-of-a-century later in Sydney.
West is among a new army of vets who, with Prince Harry, is working on projects such as the Invictus Games and Team Rubicon — projects that are turning around ex-soldiers’ lives.
His memory of the accident that killed the Diggers and seriously injured other serving men with the 5th/7th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, is as clear as yesterday.
“I broke my back, received a traumatic brain injury and bruised my lungs,” West says. “We were without help due to a lack of communications for about 40 hours … we had to render first aid and CPR with no supplies.
“We finally got a medevac to Australia where I went to hospital and began treatment for my physical injuries for eight to nine months.”
West, now 45, stayed in the army for several more years but his mental health deteriorated.
“I had a lot of survivor’s guilt because I was not able to save my best mate and the other four soldiers.
“I self-medicated with drugs, alcohol and I got into fights. I broke up with my partner but the silver lining was that I had full custody of my children who were two and five at the time.
“It took me a few years to get myself together and raise them right.”
West — who has deployed with Team Rubicon to disaster zones around the world, including earthquake and tsunami-hit Sulawesi — has a special appointment with Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, during the Invictus Games.
In celebration of Invictus the ex-infantryman joined a team of Australian and British wounded veterans on a 1000km trek, supported by the duke, across Western Australia’s remote Kimberley Region.
The team will reunite in Sydney and brief Prince Harry on the extraordinary expedition that captured the fighting spirit of Invictus and the sense of what is possible to achieve after severe injury.
A two-part documentary, Without Limits, about the vets’ punishing journey in the Kimberley, the struggles they have faced recovering from injuries and the challenges of adapting to life after the military will air on the ABC on October 18 and 25.
Invictus, Latin for unconquered and founded by Prince Harry in 2014, embodies the fighting spirit and resilience of service personnel.
Aussie Dean West and soldiers like him the world over epitomise the games which use the healing power of sport to inspire recovery, support rehabilitation and generate a wider understanding and respect for those who serve their country.
Up to 500 competitors from 18 nations will contest medals in 11 sports during a week of competition across Sydney from October 20.
Rubicon vets will have support roles during Invictus as the duke — who arrives in Sydney with Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, on their first major overseas tour since their May wedding — is a passionate supporter of both global programs.
Five-time Olympic gold medallist and Invictus ambassador Ian Thorpe predicts crowds at the games will be inspired in ways they did not think possible.
Thorpe battled depression since his teenage years and has a special interest in mental health. “As we understand our minds, and the unconscious mind especially,” Thorpe says, “we understand how powerful it really is.
“These competitors are shining examples of the strength of the mind.
“They are an inspiration to everyone to try to maximise their mental health. I try to look after my mental wellbeing in a number of different ways.
“I check up on myself on a daily basis just to see how I’m going … and I try to have a strategy to stay on top of things.”
Thorpe adds: “The Invictus Games is a unique sporting event. It is quite incredible to see people who are already heroes being able to find a new way to inspire.”
But he recognises that for some people just competing at Invictus is a gold medal.
For others it is being able to reach the end of the race — that is their gold medal. And for some it is all about winning, too.
Sydney’s army of volunteers which set a high water mark for friendliness during the 2000 Olympics is set to star again at the Invictus Games, which will open at the Sydney Opera House on October 20 in the presence of Harry and Meghan.
War veterans have given themselves a new sense of purpose by volunteering to join rapid response teams that help communities battered by natural disasters.
They have signed on to a project for which their military skills are perfectly suited.
Rubicon — which along with Invictus is Prince Harry’s other great passion — has attracted genuine star power from the duke, who helped out in Nepal after its terrible earthquake, to US General David Petraeus (Rt’d) and Air Chief Marshal Sir Angus Houston (Rt’d).
Distinguished Afghanistan vet and Rubicon chief executive Geoff Evans says it has 1200 vets on its books, without advertising, and up to 3000 more want to serve. Most are Afghan or Iraq vets but some come from the emergency services.
It is changing the narrative of the PTSD-stricken vet.
“Rubicon is not there to save soldiers, we are not pitching it that way,” Evans says.
“Vets don’t come to us to get help, they come to help.
“We want to change the image of a vet from that of a damaged person or an old guy with medals.
“The victim mentality, woe is me, we don’t have a bar of that.”
When the drought started bringing farmers down Rubicon sent rapid response teams into the bush to help out. One team operating from a base at Dubbo RSL drove tractors, rounded up stock, helped to bring in feed, cleared irrigation channels and maintained farm properties to ease the burden on financially stricken farmers.
“Our people turn up and give out a lot of hugs and there are people in tears … they are so grateful,” says Evans.
“We were asked to paint a church and worked with charities. It became a mental health outlet for the community because we are very good at compassion, counselling and pressure release for people.
“It makes you proud to be an Aussie.”
Evans, who worked on programs helping homeless and sick veterans, has the perfect credentials to lead Rubicon in Australia.
Vets have the ability to move quickly, they are comfortable in disaster zones and they’re happy because they’re not being shot at.
Sir Angus Houston says: “It is giving these men and women focus and unity of purpose, an opportunity
for them to do things
similar to what they did in uniform and the feeling of being back in the business of helping people.
“It requires teamwork, passion and determination and there is a sense of belonging.”
For Dean West, Rubicon is an opportunity for his kids “to be able to see me as a good role model”.
“The journey has been amazing so far.
“I have been deployed to Houston, Texas, the British Virgin Islands and Tathra, NSW. My daughter (Taleah, 19) came to Tathra with me which was a great experience.
“Being able to deploy with her was a bonding experience that I will never be able to fully put into words.
“Team Rubicon has given me a purpose in life that I have been seeking for over 20 years.”
But soldier West has never forgotten his fallen mates. Their names are engraved on his wrist bracelet.
Originally published as Unconquered find new glory at Invictus Games
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