What are the Invictus Games and do they still matter? The short answer is yes, in our opinion, and they should matter to most people.
Outside of what we see in war movies and video games, most of us will never know or experience the dangers of and the price of protecting our country. The Invictus Games are a foundation employing the use of sports to benefit the lives of soldiers who have been wounded by war and need rehabilitation. Prince Harry once asked how servicemen and -women can be recognized for their achievements and not be given just sympathy.
“Invictus” means unconquered and became a fitting and meaningful name for the games’ foundation. The inaugural Invictus Games took place in London in 2014 and were a series of games, much like the Paralympics Olympics, used to help wounded servicemen and -women who were injured or sick as a result of combat. The Invictus Games Foundation has been set up to build a legacy centered on helping victims of war and helping restore their faith in themselves again. It focuses on not just feeling powerful but being capable while being differently abled.
“These games have shone a spotlight on the ‘unconquerable’ character of servicemen and -women, their families and the ‘invictus’ spirit,” said Prince Harry on The Invictus Foundation’s web site.
President and First Lady Obama made an Invictus Games video challenging the British Royal family. The video featured Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Harry opening an email from the First Family. Canada’s Prime Minister Trudeau also sent an Invictus Games challenge to the Royal Family via Twitter while doing pushing ups with the Canadian Invictus team. Both videos used the ever-popular mic-drop, proving how ready they are to compete in the games.
The Invictus Games is an important event showing that you can always find strength in yourself at a time of weakness. Many of the soldiers who serve their countries are wounded in such a way that it forever changes their previous ways of life. We don’t often think of the price of peace—nor do we often want to— but we should be willing to give our support whenever and however possible.
The Invictus Games will take place in Orlando, Florida, between May 8 and May12 at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. Prince Harry recently announced that there will be a third installment of the Invictus Games being hosted in Toronto, Canada, in September 2017.