鈥淚nvictus鈥� is Latin for 鈥渦nconquered鈥� and a fitting word to describe the wounded soldiers competing in the upcoming Invictus Games in Toronto this September.
A panel hosted by Dalhousie's Faculty of Health Professions last Tuesday explored the unique opportunity the Games provide to support soldiers and their families and to enable research on the impact of adaptive sports, a term that refers to competitive sports for individuals with disabilities.
Established in 2014 by Prince Harry, a British Army veteran himself, the Invictus Games bring together wounded soldiers from allied countries to compete in adaptive sports, including archery, athletics, indoor rowing, powerlifting, road cycling, sitting volleyball, swimming, wheelchair basketball, and more.
The mission in Toronto, according to 2017 Invictus Games CEO and co-founder the True Patriot Love Foundation, Michael Burns (pictured below right), is 鈥渢ransforming empathy into empowerment.鈥�
For these Games, athletes are largely selected based on who is going to benefit the most. 鈥淲hat we鈥檙e really delivering is therapy,鈥� said Burns.聽 鈥淔or those struggling, it gives them an opportunity to put on a Canadian uniform, be around coaches and teammates, and have a mission and purpose.鈥�
Moving forward
For Luc Martin, a retired soldier in the Canadian Army, competing in archery at the 2014 and 2015 Invictus Games gave him back a sense of kinship. 鈥淚t鈥檚 knowing you鈥檙e not alone and others are going through the same thing,鈥� said Martin. 鈥淚t鈥檚 being part of a family again.鈥�
Martin鈥檚 injury due to a roadside bomb prevented him from participating in high-impact sports, leading him to discover archery. 鈥淚 never stopped being an athlete,鈥� says Martin. 鈥淚 needed to find something to keep moving forward.鈥�
After Martin鈥檚 injury he kept reaching out to health professionals to find something that worked for him; it had gotten to the point he didn鈥檛 want to leave his house. So he decided to get a therapy dog, Trail, also in attendance during last week鈥檚 panel.
鈥淗e gave me something to take care of,鈥� said Martin, visibly breaking down as he stroked Trail's fur under the table. 鈥淪even years later, we鈥檙e still together.鈥�
With his injury, Martin found it difficult to talk to his family. 鈥淲ith my immediate family, I鈥檓 very closed off. I don鈥檛 let them in. But my brothers and sisters,鈥� said Martin, gesturing to his fellow veterans on the panel, 鈥淚 let them in.鈥�
Researching impacts
While the goal of Invictus is the support and awareness of the capabilities of wounded soldiers, the Games also provide the opportunity for research. Dalhousie postdoctoral fellow Celina Shirazipour is a researcher looking at the social aspect of adaptive sport.
Shirazipour鈥檚 research takes a three-prong approach: studying the affect on athletes, the impacts on their families who struggle alongside them, as well as the audience who will watch this unfold.
鈥淚t鈥檚 about knowing key aspects that will help with psychological healing,鈥� said Shirazipour. 鈥淲e can take this information and apply it much more broadly.鈥�
Retired Major General Lewis MacKenzie notices a change in support for wounded soldiers in recent years. 鈥淲atching from the outside, it鈥檚 impressive how far we鈥檝e come.鈥� The Invictus Games, MacKenzie said, 鈥渂ring a feeling of pride and self-image that is inescapable.鈥�
Alice Aiken, the dean of Health Professions, and rehabilitation therapist Captain Pauline Godsell rounded out the panel, which was moderated by CTV Morning Live producer and co-host, Heidi Patracek.
Burns pointed out that Canada's team this year is the largest yet, with 90 athletes competing in Toronto.
鈥淣ot just the competitors, but thousands of people watching will be inspired by what they see,鈥� he said.
