Prince Harry and Meghan help vets launch the Invictus Games
THE inspirational Invictus Games will be launched tonight in a ceremony on the Opera House forecourt attended by their founder Prince Harry and the Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle.
NSW
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PRINCE Harry will tonight in Sydney launch the Invictus Games, the event the former soldier has turned into a global phenomenon.
The ceremony at the Opera House, which will be attended by Harry and his wife Meghan, will herald a sporting extravaganza in which 500 wounded veterans from 18 nations will compete. They will do battle in 11 sports during a week of competition at venues across the city including Sydney Olympic Park.
Invictus has spawned an array of employment programs for veterans and even career opportunities for students learning how to design, build and operate bionic hands and prosthetic legs.
Amy Vickers, who suffered trauma after dealing with three aircraft crashes that involved multiple fatalities during 23 years of service in the Royal Australian Navy, has set up a business that helps other vets recover from mental and physical problems.
Ms Vickers, 38, works with the Prince’s Trust Australia and the Sage Foundation, which supports programs globally to help vets transition to civilian life, and this week she will tap into the Invictus spirit.
“I have coached 74 serving and ex-serving vets this year with a mental health diagnosis … it is the most rewarding and worthwhile work,” she said.
Invictus, which mean unconquered in Latin, uses the healing power of sport to inspire recovery, support rehabilitation and generate a wider understanding and respect for those who serve their country.
Harry launched the Games in 2014, saying they would “demonstrate the power of sport to inspire recovery, support rehabilitation and demonstrate life beyond disability”. The Prince also said his long-term objective was to ensure injured troops are not forgotten.
Five-time Olympic gold medallist and Invictus ambassador Ian Thorpe is predicting crowds at the Games will be inspired in ways they did not think possible.
“These competitors are shining examples of the strength of the mind,” Thorpe said.
And the heroics will not be limited to the sporting arena.
Knox Gibson, 11 — who lost his arm in a lawnmower accident when he was just three — will host Lap of Honour on the ABC and investigate the stories of courage and resilience by interviewing some of the stars of the Invictus Games.
“In the show one of the questions I will ask is, what does Invictus mean to you?” he said.
The three-part show begins on ABCME tomorrow at 4.05pm, and it also can be accessed on the ABC ME app.