Unconquered Denny Neave Gordon Traill Catherine McCullagh UNCONQUERED Copyright © Denny Neave, Catherine McCullagh, Gordon Traill First published 2019 Copyright remains the property of the authors and apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of private study, research, criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright Act, no part may be reproduced by any process without written permission. All inquiries should be made to the publishers. All imagery throughout this book has been sourced, cleared and approved for use by the Australian Department of Defence, the New Zealand Department of Defence, the Invictus Games Organisation (Sydney and UK), Denny Neave, Gordon Traill and the participating athletes (for use of their personal collections). All images are copyright and all image holders retain the copyright for their images. 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Authors: Denny Neave, Catherine McCullagh, Gordon Traill Title: Unconquered: Our Wounded Warriors ISBN: 978-1-925675-98-6 2 OUR WOUNDED WARRIORS Contents Foreword Lieutenant General Peter Leahy AC (retd) .........................5 Chapter 3 The New Zealand Defence Force Team ..........................157 Introduction ......................................................................................7 Daryl Burton ......................................................................................161 Robert ‘Tiny’ Graham ........................................................................165 ‘Invictus’ by William Henley ..............................................................9 Matt Vangioni ...................................................................................169 Chapter 1 About the Games .............................................................11 Kelly Whittle ......................................................................................173 Chapter 2 The Australian Defence Force Team.................................27 Chapter 4 Supporting the games....................................................179 Peter Arbuckle ......................................................................................29 C.J. (Christopher) Collins — Invictus Alumnus .................................181 Steven Avery .........................................................................................35 Ian McCracken — Invictus Alumnus .................................................185 Brigid Baker .........................................................................................41 Wade Roberts — Invictus Alumnus ...................................................189 Graham Bell .........................................................................................45 The Australian Defence Force Support to the Invictus Games ............195 Davin ‘Bear’ Bretherton........................................................................49 The New South Wales Police Force Support to The Invictus Games ......201 Peter Brown..........................................................................................57 The Volunteers ...................................................................................205 Matt Brumby .......................................................................................61 The Charities ......................................................................................211 Dave Connolly CSC ............................................................................67 Acknowledgements ........................................................................217 Jesse Costelloe ......................................................................................73 Ben Farinazzo .......................................................................................79 Thomas Foster ......................................................................................85 Stephen Hayes ......................................................................................89 Beau King ............................................................................................95 Jarrod ‘Broken, Never Beaten’ Kent ......................................................99 Matthew Model .................................................................................105 Emilea Mysko ....................................................................................111 Sonya Newman ..................................................................................117 Stephen Osborne ................................................................................121 Nathan Parker ....................................................................................127 Darren Peters......................................................................................133 Garry Robinson DSM — ‘Mr Invictus’ .............................................139 Peter Rudland ....................................................................................145 Jeff Wright ..........................................................................................151 3 UNCONQUERED 4 OUR WOUNDED WARRIORS Foreword nyone who was in Sydney in the last week of October in 2018 When Prince Harry announced the games were coming to Sydney, could not have missed the profound impact of the Invictus Games. he called on all Australians to show their support. Well we sure did. The AOn show for all to see was what Prince Harry called ‘the healing games captured the imagination of the country and we were all proud of the power of sport’. We were all humbled and inspired by the determination and numbers and enthusiasm of the people who came to watch and cheer. Also achievements of the wounded, injured and ill from 18 different countries evident was the way the games were embraced right across Australia through who showed their ‘unconquered’ spirit during the Sydney Invictus Games. radio and television. On show too was the love and support provided by their family and friends ‘Game On Down Under’ was the rallying cry for the Sydney games. We who came with them to cheer them on and inspire and support them on their might be tempted to say it’s now ‘Game Done Down Under’. But that would path to recovery. be a big mistake. There is more work to be done. The next games will be held The competition was fast and furious with the competitors once again in The Hague in 2020 so we need to put a team together to compete. But universally proud to wear the uniform of their country. The rivalry might more importantly we need to treat these Invictus Games as a step forward to have been fierce, but it was in the spirit of ensuring that every competitor was creating a legacy of engagement, involvement and support for our servicemen and women. In the service of Australia they had our backs, now it is our turn encouraged and embraced regardless of results. It was uplifting and humbling to have theirs and support them in their recovery and transition to civilian life. to see these veterans once again part of a team giving their all in the service of their nation. Lieutenant General Peter Leahy AC (retd) 5 UNCONQUERED 6 OUR WOUNDED WARRIORS Introduction n a colourful coup for Sydney, the Invictus Games 2018 were held from Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrove neatly summarises his impression of 20 to 27 October in this beautiful Australian city and quickly became a the games. ‘There are gold medals but there’s no national anthems, because Iunique and unforgettable event. The Australian Defence Force and the it is not one nation versus another; it is all nations combined with athletes Returned and Services League partnered to support a combined Australian enjoying affection and respect for one another.’ team of 72 competitors — 18 serving and 54 former military personnel. The founder of the Invictus Games, Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex, The Invictus Games, the brainchild of His Royal Highness, The Duke attended the closing ceremony and was fulsome in his praise for the athletes. of Sussex, and inaugurated in 2014, is an international adaptive sports event ‘Your example goes beyond the military community. It is about more than for wounded, injured and ill active duty and veteran service personnel. The your inspiring stories of recovery from injury and illness. It is about your word ‘invictus’ is Latin for ‘unconquered’ and embodies the fighting spirit of example of determination, of optimism, of strength, honour and friendship, wounded, injured and ill servicemen and women. In Sydney in 2018, some or as the Aussies call it, mateship — a core value that has the power to inspire 500 competitors from 18 nations competed in 11 adaptive sports. the world.’ He emphasised that the competitors were not ‘superheroes’ but rather ‘ordinary people doing extraordinary things’ who had — and will The games use the healing power of sport to inspire recovery, support continue to — inspire others. ‘You do not have to be a veteran who has fought rehabilitation and celebrate the crucial role played by family and friends. back from injury to be inspired by the Invictus example,’ he asserted. ‘You can Competitors, whose journeys to recovery are uniformly lengthy and painful, identify something in your own life that you want to change for the better and are quick to embrace the healing power of