IMPACT REPORT HOW IT ALL BEGAN… “ They are ordinary people doing extraordinary things. That is something we can all aspire to. You do not have to be a veteran who has fought back from injury to be inspired by the Invictus Spirit.” The Duke of Sussex In 2008, on an RAF transport plane returning The power of sport The importance of partnership from Afghanistan, a young army officer The Invictus Games Foundation is the charity Partnership has always been at the heart of watched as the coffin of a Danish soldier which governs the delivery of the Invictus the Invictus Games Foundation. Without the was loaded aboard for repatriation. Games. Founded in November 2014, the collaboration, contribution and dedication of principal function was to award the licence so many people and organisations, the Games As well as the body of Morten Krogh, just 21, to each host city and then to advise, support and other initiatives would not happen. We there were three injured British soldiers, all and oversee each iteration of the Games. are particularly indebted to the early and in induced comas, wrapped in plastic with committed support of our participating nations, missing limbs. The Games have now been delivered in host cities and Ministries of Defence. four cities – London, Orlando, Toronto and Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex, had just Sydney. These experiences have given us Presenting Partner, Jaguar Land Rover and completed his first deployment. That moment a unique understanding of the international Partners including Fisher House Foundation had a profound impact on him and he resolved wounded, injured and sick (WIS) community and ISPS Handa have helped us evolve and to do something… and the different approaches to recovery grow since the very beginning. and rehabilitation. In 2013, his visit to the Warrior Games in the USA highlighted first-hand the power of sport Sports recovery is a proven method to Our relevance today and tomorrow in helping those suffering from injury and accelerate and reinforce rehabilitation Our activities at the Games and beyond illness physically, psychologically and socially. and participation in an Invictus Games is continue against the uncertainty of the transformative for competitors and their He had always believed that the wounded effect of Covid-19 on sport, events and on friends and family. deserved recognition and was inspired our community. Invictus Games The Hague 2020 have had to be rescheduled to 2021 to celebrate, embrace and encourage the It supports long-term improvements in and Düsseldorf to 2023. We are grateful unconquered human spirit he saw in those physical and mental health, provides to our participating nations, partners and men and women… opportunities to inspire and motivate others the Invictus family for understanding the and helps servicemen and women re-engage The Invictus Games were born. In London challenges we face in delivering the with their families and their community. Life 2014, 411 competitors from 13 nations took recovery and rehabilitation opportunities would be substantially different had they not part in the first Games. we set out as we closed the 2018 Games. had the opportunity to participate. “ This has always been about the competitors We have a responsibility to use this knowledge and their families. What they represent, to support the armed forces community across the strength and determination, the grit, the world. every part of it. In the last five years, these guys have completely changed how we view In 2019 and with the Games now taking place disability, how we view mental health.” every two years, we expanded our team to support this community with activities beyond The Duke of Sussex the Games to help them regain their purpose, The Duke of Sussex Opening Ceremony identity and future. Invictus Games Sydney 2018 1 > The Duke of Sussex visits The Hague to mark one year to go > Ukraine and UK WIS teams take part in The Halo Trust’s Salisbury Plain Trek > The Duke of Sussex visits > Invictus Games > The 100th Army > The Invictus > The Invictus > The seventh > Major League Baseball London Series The Warrior Games, USA London 2014 wins the Navy Rugby Match Games The Games Invictus Games hosts IGF at its inaugural baseball Best Live Experience supports the Invictus Hague 2020 Düsseldorf will take place match between the New York Yankees Award at the Sport Games Foundation 2023 and the Boston Red Sox Industry Awards at Twickenham > WIS from Canada, Germany, > The Invictus Ukraine, UK and USA attend Games Toronto BGC’s Charity Day 2017 > IGF hosts its fifth anniversary reception at the London Guildhall > We Are Invictus app and online community for WIS launched 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024 TIMELINE 2013 2015 2017 2019 2021 2023 2025 > Düsseldorf announced as sixth Invictus > First WIS Games host city team run the London Marathon > The Royal Society and IGF host The Future of Trauma > First WIS racing Recovery scientific meeting team – Invictus > The inaugural > Invictus Games Racing – > Jon Bon Jovi launches new charity Invictus Games is Games Policy competes in the British single Unbroken featuring the Invictus launched in London Symposium GT Championship in Games Choir at the Copperbox on Invisible F-Type Jaguar SVR Arena, Olympic Park Wounds Presented > IGF launches its active esports with by the Bush Institute > The Invictus Games Bring The Hague Home challenge as part > The Invictus Games Sydney 2018 of its response to supporting WIS during the London 2014 > The Invictus Games global pandemic Orlando 2016 > Bat Out of Hell The Musical > Invictus Games supports IGF with a Gala > IGF hosts its first virtual conference: IGF The competitors win the Helen Performance Conversation: Sharing and Realising the Invictus Spirit Rollason Award for Disability Sport at the BBC Sports > IGF incorporates Invictus: Endeavours. A new development Personality of the Year Awards based on the Endeavour Fund which supported 6000 WIS and funded £3m of grants towards sport and adventurous challenge > WIS teams with their friends and family take part in the At Home Superhero challenge 3 “You could see with the public that not only the people who won the race were cheered. The ones who did not medal but did not quit were cheered. This is the Invictus spirit.” Laurentiu Serban, Team Romania 5 INSPIRE IMPROVE INFLUENCE We use the Invictus Games to inspire recovery We improve lives through sports recovery and We share best practice and collaborate to and demonstrate the resilience of the Invictus adventurous challenge to build an international influence research and knowledge around trauma community active support network that continues to serve recovery, rehabilitation and the power of sport WHAT WE DOWHAT VISION Inspire international communities through the power of the unconquered human spirit HOW WE DO IT Host city selection, Participating Nations Invictus Endeavours We Are Invictus Partner engagement The Conversation support and direction support grants and support community app MISSION Through sport and adventurous challenge we inspire, improve and influence the recovery and rehabilitation of Wounded, Injured Family and friends Games evolution Invictus Spirit awards Activities powered Strategy and policy Beyond the Finish Line and Sick servicemen and women by Invictus impact study Categorisation and Virtual and esports Armed forces programmes Events and opportunities Global community engagement Medical and academic adaptive sports rules beyond the Games research 7 INSPIRE “ The Games helped us heal physically and mentally, WE USE THE INVICTUS GAMES but more crucially it gave us a sense of service, of duty, a purpose, a mission. It was not the end of TO INSPIRE RECOVERY AND the journey, it was just the beginning.” JJ Chalmers, former Invictus Games competitor DEMONSTRATE THE RESILIENCE and media presenter In 2014, JJ Chalmers, Paul Vice MC and Rob Cromey-Hawke of Team UK embody the first time OF THE INVICTUS COMMUNITY we saw the Invictus Spirit as competitors cross the line together. This symbol of camaraderie The Invictus Spirit Host city support Triumph over adversity became a custom for many future events, as competitors sacrificed personal medal potential The Invictus Games are the epitome of sports We have a key role in advising and supporting In 2018, Mike Kacer (Team USA) presented his to celebrate their achievement together. recovery. They shine a light on issues affecting host cities to deliver the Games. This medal to an Australian child with disabilities. the international armed forces community and includes the transfer of knowledge between She had a similar arm amputation and Mike act as a beacon attracting those who have local organising committees and advice on wanted to show her that anything is possible experienced injury or illness during service. operations, sports programming, commercial in sport. After the Games, the girl’s family Wheelchair racer, Ulfat Al-Zwiri (Team In the company of comrades from around the and broadcast. We created and administer shared some footage of her competing and Jordan), had never used a racing wheelchair world, they demonstrate the power of the the adaptive sports and competition rules in overcoming her fears of taking part in sport prior to the Games in 2016. Her fellow human spirit in overcoming adversity and tandem with categorisation regulations. against other children without disabilities. competitors had finished by quite a considerable achieving extraordinary feats beyond injury. distance, yet the whole stadium stood and Categorisation is unique to the Invictus Games. roared her over the finish line. “ Who wins which medal is almost irrelevant. It allows each competitor to participate within It’s not the finish line which counts, it’s a bespoke framework to create fairness the start line. Even to get to that start line across a wide range of injuries, including after what these people have been through psychological injuries.