This week, more than 100 British athletes are will arrive in Orlando for to begin a week of competition on an international stage. But these men and women are more than competitors. They are service men and women who have fought on the battlefield, and gained on the sports field.
In Orlando, they will compete in the Invictus Games 2016, with hopes of bringing home the gold to the country they have served.
In partnership with the Ministry of Defence, Help for Heroes, and the Royal British Legion, these British athletes will showcase their skills in adaptive sport and bring greater awareness of service personnel and veterans.
Maj. Gen. Richard Cripwell is defense attache at the British Embassy in Washington, D.C.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of the British Embassy
Fighting alongside his comrades in Afghanistan, as well as his American counterparts, Prince Harry saw the sacrifices of service men and women firsthand. A 2013 visit to the U.S. Warrior Games in Boulder, Colorado, sparked the idea for a similar event on a global scale, which he saw as a way to highlight the stories of personnel, veterans, and the families who support them back home.
It was the beginning of the Invictus Games, held for the first time in London in 2014. This week, athletes will battle for medals in 10 adaptive sports, with 500 competitors from 15 countries.
The word 'invictus' means unconquered: It embodies the fighting spirit of wounded, injured and sick personnel and veterans and what they can achieve post-injury or illness.
Competitions such as the Invictus Games aid in holistic healing throughout the recovery and rehabilitation process: mentally, emotionally, spiritually, physically and socially. The games serve as a reminder that there are service men and women who adapt to a new normal long after the games are over.
Royal Navy Lt. Kirsty Wallace, Team U.K., receives a pass just inside the 3-point area and then takes a shot during a training wheelchair basketball game at the ESPN Wide World of Sports complex at Walt Disney World, Orlando, Fla., May 5, 2016. Team U.K. is one of 15 nations competing in the Invictus Games, which was created by Prince Harry, a former British Army officer and son of Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales.
Photo Credit: Senior Master Sgt. Kevin Wallace/U.S. Air Force
Many who have returned from the battlefield have found that the power of adaptive sport helps to improve self-confidence and empower them psychologically. Significant physical and mental health benefits can be translated outside of sport and into everyday life.
That's why we've made adaptive sport a key component of recovery in the U.K. With recovery centers located around the country, thousands have been able to benefit from the healing power of sport. At our Battle Back Centre, activities include climbing, water sports, caving, wheelchair basketball, clay shooting and archery, all monitored by Army staff who can cater to specific needs.
One service man had lost his arm and wanted to give mountain biking a try. Thanks to the team at Battle Back, they were able to adapt his bike to one hand and get him back in the saddle.
We've seen these practices work well. But the games have proved that there are more ways we can come together as allies tasked with supporting those who serve.
Retired British Army Sgt. Chris Middleton receives a hand wrap from an exercise physiologist during a training wheelchair basketball game at the ESPN Wide World of Sports complex at Walt Disney World, Orlando, Fla., May 5, 2016. Middleton plays for a local team in Leicester. Team U.K. is one of 15 nations competing in the Invictus Games, which was created by Prince Harry, a former British Army officer and son of Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales.
Photo Credit: Senior Master Sgt. Kevin Wallace/U.S. Air Force
Today, Britain plays a key role in keeping the world safe. Indeed, some of the competitors were injured fighting for their countries in Iraq or Afghanistan.
At Invictus, athletes will once again stand side by side with their allies. In 2011, we reaffirmed that commitment as U.K. Prime Minister Cameron and U.S. President Barack Obama with the U.S.-U.K. task force aimed at supporting service personnel, veterans and their families.
In 2012, we solidified those aims, working together on specific initiatives and sharing best practices on medical rehabilitation, mental health, transition to civilian life, and support for military families.
So it's fitting that our two nations have hosted the first two Invictus Games.
"The 2014 games were just the beginning of the Invictus story," Prince Harry has said. This year, the games in Orlando mark the next chapter of that story and the next stage of recovery and rehabilitation for America's and Britain's bravest service men and women.
Maj. Gen. Richard Cripwell is defense attache at the British Embassy in Washington, D.C.
Prince Harry arrives at the 2016 Invictus Games and is quickly greeted by three British wounded warrior athletes at the ESPN Wide World of Sports complex at Walt Disney World, Orlando, Fla. The Invictus Games will be held from May 8-12, and will feature wounded, injured or seriously ill athletes from 15 nations.
Photo Credit: Senior Master Sgt. Kevin Wallace/U.S. Air Force
