As the 2022 Invictus Games came to a close last Friday, Prince Harry congratulated and commended all the competitors. Speaking at the closing ceremonies, he commented on the resilience and determination of the competitors.
“This is a blueprint of what the wider world needs today – the power of resilience, the power of healing, and the power of recovery.”
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex
Team Canada was among the 17 nations competing. Our team was comprised of 16 veterans and 12 serving members of the Canadian Armed Forces who sustained a physical or mental injury while serving Canada; Over a third of the Canadian competitors were from BC. Many of those who join the Invictus Games are looking for a way to find their passion again and serve their country once more.
“The Invictus Games afford a special opportunity to our ill and injured serving members and Veterans to demonstrate their incredible tenacity and the results of their efforts throughout their recovery journey. They will undoubtedly inspire thousands more to take their first courageous steps forward on their own road to recovery … ”
General Wayne Eyre, Chief of the Defence Staff
These competitors show qualities of leadership: perseverance, dedication, motivation, and inspiration. Reading the stories of the Canadian competitors truly inspired me.
Retired Intelligence Officer, Major Nick Holyome, lives in Comox with his family. He says his wife and two children are his inspiration, they supported him as he made the hard transition to civilian life. Training for the Invictus Games revitalized Nick’s passion for sports. Nick partook in cycling, indoor rowing, and sitting volleyball at this year’s Games.
Major Patrick Levis is a Victoria resident. Patrick enjoyed representing his unit in regional and national sports competitions. He credits many life skills he learned to sports such as discipline, determination, devotion, and concentration. However, Patrick was left with a mobility disability after extensive surgery and could no longer practice many of the sports he once loved which left him feeling hopeless. To remain active, he turned to adaptive sports. Patrick says participating in the Invictus Games rekindled a sense of purpose and pride inside himself. He participated in wheelchair racing, hand rowing, and wheelchair basketball.
Chief Petty Officer 2nd Class Marcy Lynn Dumonceaux is also a resident of Victoria. Marcy suffers from PTSD caused by sexual trauma in the military. She uses the Invictus Games to encourage herself and others to show that injuries do not define you. Marcy also wants to show it is still possible to represent Canada on different platforms. This year, she competed in swimming, rowing, and sitting volleyball.
This year’s edition of the #InvictusGames wraps up today with closing ceremonies taking place this evening. We want to congratulate all Team Canada members for their amazing efforts and unwavering spirit. 🇨🇦
The Invictus Games are coming to Canada in 2025! https://t.co/hUEw9RewJN pic.twitter.com/hsPJ2WCqDd— Canadian Armed Forces (@CanadianForces) April 22, 2022
These competitors are just a few of the resilient British Columbians who represented Canada during the competition. Team Canada will compete again next year in the 2023 Invictus Games in Dusseldorf. The 2025 Invictus Games are going to take place in Vancouver and I will surely be there, cheering on the competitors!
If you want to read the stories of the other competitors, you can find them here:
https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/campaigns/invictus-games-2020/biographies.html