Invictus Games

Invictus Games
Motto I AM
First event 2014
Headquarters London, United Kingdom
Patron HRH The Duke of Sussex
Website invictusgames.org
Medals from London 2014

The Invictus Games is an international adaptive multi-sport event, created by Prince Harry, in which wounded, injured or sick armed services personnel and their associated veterans take part in sports including wheelchair basketball, sitting volleyball, and indoor rowing.[1] Named after Invictus, Latin for "unconquered" or "undefeated", the event was inspired by the Warrior Games, a similar event held in the United States. The first Invictus Games took place in March 2014 at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London, United Kingdom.

The 2014 opening ceremony was attended by Prince Harry, Prime Minister David Cameron, Prince Charles, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Prince William, and Frederik, Crown Prince of Denmark. The event also included a recorded message from the First Lady of the United States Michelle Obama.[2]

The second games opened on 8 May 2016 at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World, near Orlando, Florida, United States. The opening ceremony was attended by Prince Harry, First Lady of the United States Michelle Obama, former U.S. President George W. Bush and many other dignitaries. U.S. President Barack Obama and Queen Elizabeth II helped make a promotional video for the 2016 event.[3]

The 2017 games were held in September in Toronto, Canada.[4] The 2018 games are scheduled to be held in October in Sydney, Australia. The 2020 games are scheduled to be held in The Hague, Netherlands.

Launch

The Games were launched on 6 March 2014 by Prince Harry at London's Copper Box arena, used as a venue during the 2012 Olympics. Having seen a British team competing at the US Warrior Games held in Colorado in 2013, the prince wished to bring the concept of a similar international sporting event to the United Kingdom.[5][6][7][8] With the backing of Mayor of London Boris Johnson, the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games and the Ministry of Defence, the event was put together over ten months.[1][9] £1m of funding for the project was provided by the Royal Foundation, a charity established by Prince Harry along with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, with an equal amount being pledged by Chancellor George Osborne from Treasury funds generated by fines imposed on banks as a result of the Libor scandal.[1][10] The Games were also sponsored by Jaguar Land Rover.[8] Speaking at the launch, the prince said that the Games would "demonstrate the power of sport to inspire recovery, support rehabilitation and demonstrate life beyond disability".[11] He also said that their long-term objective was to ensure injured troops are not forgotten as Britain's involvement with the War in Afghanistan comes to an end.[1][12]

Host cities

Host cities of the Invictus Games
Year City Country Venue Nations participating Opening ceremony Closing ceremony
2014 London  United Kingdom Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park 14September 10 September 14
2015 No games held in 2015 to allow time for the 2016 host, Orlando, to plan and raise funds.[13]
2016 Orlando  United States ESPN Wide World of Sports 15 May 8 May 12
2017 Toronto  Canada Multiple venues 17 September 23 September 30
2018 Sydney  Australia Sydney Olympic Park 18 October 20 October 27
2020 Rotterdam & The Hague  The Netherlands TBA TBA TBA TBA

Invictus Games Foundation

The Invictus Games Foundation was created as the legacy of the first-ever Invictus Games. It governs the process of the future Games. The bidding process for future games started in November 2014.[14]

Governance

The people who govern the foundation are:[15]

Trustees
  • David Henson (British Team Captain of the 2014 Invictus Games)
  • Debbie Jevans (formerly Director of Sport for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games; Organising committee member Invictus Games 2014)
  • Edward Lane Fox (Private Secretary of Prince Harry)
  • Terry Miller (general counsel for the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games; Organising committee member Invictus Games 2014)
  • Guy Monson (Trustee, The Royal Foundation of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry)
  • Paddy Nicoll (Trustee, HALO Trust; formerly Army, Row2Recovery, Endeavour Fund and Invictus Games 2014).
  • Mary Reilly (also on the Board of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games, organising committee member of Invictus Games 2014)

Staff:

  • Managing Director: Dominic Reid (was responsible for the operational delivery of the Invictus Games London 2014)
  • Operations Manager: Rose Hall (organising team for the Invictus Games London 2014.)

Ambassador

Lewis Hamilton, a four time Formula 1 World Champion, was appointed as the first ambassador.[16]

  • Hamilton visited Tedworth House before the announcement [17]
  • 3 July 2015, Lewis invited some Invictus Games athletes to the British Grand Prix.[18]

2014 Invictus Games

Four runners from Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States during a 100-metre qualifying heat at the 2014 Invictus Games
Three American defenders knock the ball away from an Australian player during a wheelchair rugby pool match between the United States and Australia at the 2014 Invictus Games

The first Invictus Games were held on 10–14 September 2014.[1][8][19][20] Around 300 competitors from 13 countries which have fought alongside the United Kingdom in recent military campaigns participated. These included the United States, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Denmark, New Zealand and Afghanistan. Competitive events were held at many of the venues used during the 2012 Olympics, including the Copper Box and the Lee Valley Athletics Centre. The Games were broadcast by the BBC.[1][21]

Organising committee

  • President: Prince Harry
  • Chairman: Sir Keith Mills (former deputy chairman of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games)
  • Lieutenant General Andrew Gregory (represents Defence on the Invictus Games Board)
  • General Sir Nick Parker (was in charge with organising the military support provided by the Armed Forces during the London 2012 Games)
  • Sara Donaldson (was chief operating officer of the Production Company for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Opening and Closing Ceremonies)
  • Edward Lane Fox (private secretary of Prince Harry)
  • Debbie Jevans (formerly Director of Sport for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games)
  • Terry Miller (was general counsel for the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games)
  • Guy Monson (trustee of The Royal Foundation of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry)
  • Roger Mosey (was the BBC's Director of London 2012 Olympic Games coverage and former BBC editorial director)
  • Mary Reilly (was also on the Board of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games)
  • Chris Townsend (was Commercial Director for the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games)
  • Sir Nathan Murray (was in charge of organising the arenas for the games to take place)

Invited countries

14 countries were invited to the 2014 games, 8 from Europe, 2 from Asia, 2 from North America and 2 from Oceania. No countries from Africa were invited. There were teams from all the invited countries, except Iraq, competing in the games.

Sporting events

Athletics (aka track & field), archery, indoor rowing, powerlifting, road cycling, sitting volleyball, swimming, wheelchair basketball and wheelchair rugby. The presenting partner Jaguar Land Rover also organised a driving challenge.

2014 closing concert

The closing concert was broadcast on BBC Two hosted by Clare Balding and Greg James.[23] The concert was hosted by Nick Grimshaw and Fearne Cotton, with live performances from Foo Fighters, Kaiser Chiefs, James Blunt, Rizzle Kicks, Ryan Adams and Ellie Goulding.[24][25][26]

Venues

The following venues were used for Invictus 2014:

2016 Invictus Games

Academy Award-winning actor Morgan Freeman narrates for the opening ceremony to the 2016 Invictus games in Orlando, Florida

On 14 July 2015, Prince Harry, Patron of Invictus Games Foundation, announced the 2016 Invictus Games would take place from 8–12 May 2016 at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Florida.[27]

On 28 October 2015, Prince Harry and USA's First Lady Michelle Obama and Second Lady Jill Biden, launched Invictus Games 2016 at Fort Belvoir.[28]

Organising committee

U.S. Invictus wheelchair basketball team members celebrate their gold medal win during the 2016 Invictus Games

In order to bring Invictus Games to the USA, Military Adaptive Sports Inc. (MASI) was created, and worked to build on the success of the Invictus Games 2014 held in London.[29]

Board Members of Military Adaptive Sports Inc.[30]

  • Chairman: Ken Fisher (Chairman and CEO of the Fisher House Foundation)
  • Gerry Byrne, PMC’s Vice Chairman, also on the board of many NPO: Fisher House, The Bob Woodruff Foundation,Veterans Advantage,etc.
  • Paul W. Bucha, Vietnam War veteran.
  • Martin L. Edelman, "of counsel" to Paul Hastings LLP,
  • Bronwen Evans, Founding Director and CEO of True Patriot Love Foundation (TPL) of Canada, which has been raising record funds to support military families through its signature Tribute Dinners since its inception in 2009.
  • David Fox, retired Senior Partner of Greenwich Associates
  • Michael Haynie, Vice Chancellor of Syracuse University, responsible for Veteran and Military Affairs.
  • Charlie Huebner, vice president of Paralympic development for the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Foundation (USOPF).
  • Raymond W. Kelly
  • Donna E. Shalala, President and CEO of the Clinton Foundation.
  • Christie Smith, PhD, Deloitte Managing Principal for Consulting in the west region of the United States.
  • Jacqueline A. Weiss, General Counsel of Fisher Brothers, responsible for legal affairs.
  • Montel Williams

Ken Fisher served as Chairman and CEO for Invictus Games Orlando 2016.[31]

Invited countries

All 14 countries from the 2014 Games were invited back, while Jordan was the only new invitee.[32]

Sporting events

2017 Invictus Games

Toronto hosted the 2017 Invictus Games in September 2017 during Canada's sesquicentennial. Building from hosting the Pan American and Parapan American Games in 2015, Toronto's organizers planned to feature more competitors, nations and sports—such as ice events—than previously.[34]

Unlike prior games which were hosted at a single site, multiple venues around the Greater Toronto Area hosted the 12 sporting events and opening and closing ceremonies.[35][36] The venues are Air Canada Centre that hosted the opening and closing ceremony. Fort York National Historic Site hosed the archery. Nathan Phillips Square for wheelchair tennis; Ryerson University's Mattamy Athletic Centre hosted the indoor rowing, powerlifting, sitting volleyball, wheelchair basketball and wheelchair rugby; St. George's Golf and Country Club hosted the golf; The Distillery District hosted the Jaguar Land Rover driving challenge; High Park to host cycling; Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre to host swimming, sitting volleyball and wheelchair basketball; and York Lions Stadium hosted the athletics.

Michael Burns was the CEO for 2017 Games and the official mascot for the Games was Vimy, a Labrador.[37]

Invited countries

All 15 countries from the 2016 Games were invited back, with new invitations going to Romania and Ukraine.[38]

Sporting events

2018 Invictus Games

Bids to host the 2018 Invictus Games closed in December 2015.[40] The Gold Coast in Australia announced its intention to bid, using facilities built for the 2018 Commonwealth Games.[41] In November 2016 Sydney, Australia was announced as the host city.[42]

Invited countries

All 17 countries from the 2017 Games were invited back, with an invitation extended to Poland.[43]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Sherwin, Adam (6 March 2014). "Prince Harry wins £1m funding in LIBOR bank fines to help stage 'Invictus Games' for injured servicemen and women at the Olympic Park". The Independent. Independent Print Limited. Retrieved 6 March 2014.
  2. ↑ "Prince Harry's Invictus Games open". BBC News. 10 September 2014. Retrieved 11 September 2014.
  3. ↑ BBC News (29 April 2016). "The Queen vs The President: 'Boom'". YouTube.
  4. ↑ "Prince Harry announces Toronto to host 2017 Invictus Games". The Globe and Mail. Toronto. The Canadian Press. 16 March 2016. Retrieved 16 March 2016.
  5. ↑ "Prince Harry launches Paralympic-style games for soldiers". BBC News. 6 March 2014. Retrieved 6 March 2014.
  6. ↑ "What this inspiring contest means to me". London Evening Standard. 6 March 2014. Retrieved 6 March 2014.
  7. ↑ "Prince Harry launches Invictus Games for injured troops at Olympic Park". The Guardian. 6 March 2014. Retrieved 6 March 2014.
  8. 1 2 3 "Prince Harry launches 'Invictus Games' for wounded vets". USA Today. 6 March 2014. Retrieved 6 March 2014.
  9. ↑ Jobson, Robert (6 March 2014). "London will host Prince Harry's version of the Warrior Games". London Evening Standard. Retrieved 9 March 2014.
  10. ↑ "Prince Harry launches 'Invictus Games' for wounded veterans". Postmedia News. 6 March 2014. Retrieved 7 March 2014.
  11. ↑ "Video: Prince Harry launches Invictus Games for wounded servicemen". The Daily Telegraph. 6 March 2014. Retrieved 6 March 2014.
  12. ↑ "Prince Harry calls for public support for September's Invictus Games for disabled soldiers". East London Advertiser. 7 March 2014. Retrieved 7 March 2014.
  13. ↑ "Next invictus games set for 2016". Daily Mail. 17 November 2014. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
  14. ↑ "BIDDING PROCESS OPEN FOR ASPIRING HOSTS OF FUTURE INVICTUS GAMES". Invictus Games Foundation.
  15. ↑ "Governance". Invictus Games Foundation.
  16. ↑ "Stevenage driver Lewis Hamilton named as Invictus Games ambassador". ITV News. 27 June 2015. Retrieved 13 May 2016.
  17. ↑ "LEWIS HAMILTON UNVEILED AS FIRST AMBASSADOR FOR INVICTUS GAMES FOUNDATION". Invictus Games Foundation.
  18. ↑ "He's busy getting ready 4 #BritishGP but @lewishamilton spent time meeting #InvictusGames competitors". Invictus Games Twitter account.
  19. ↑ Adams, Sam (6 March 2014). "What are the Invictus Games?". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 6 March 2014.
  20. ↑ "Prince Harry launches Invictus Games for soldiers". Zee News. 6 March 2014. Retrieved 6 March 2014.
  21. ↑ "Prince Harry launches sports event for wounded soldiers". One News. TVNZ. 7 March 2014. Retrieved 12 March 2014.
  22. ↑ "Prince Harry: Join me in cheering on these inspirational men and women". London Evening Standard. 12 May 2014. Retrieved 13 May 2014.
  23. ↑ Ringwood, Shaun (14 September 2014). "The Invictus Games – Closing Concert on BBC Two tonight featuring Foo Fighters, Kaiser Chiefs, Ellie Goulding & Diversity". Scunthorpe Telegraph. Local World. Retrieved 15 September 2014.
  24. ↑ "Invictus Games go out on a high with Foo Fighters, Ellie Goulding and more". Digital Spy. 14 September 2014. Retrieved 15 September 2014.
  25. ↑ Paine, Andre= (15 September 2014). "Invictus Games Closing Concert, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park – music review: Foo Fighters singer Dave Grohl dedicated My Hero to 'all the heroes'". London Evening Standard. Retrieved 15 September 2014.
  26. ↑ McCormick, Neil (15 September 2014). "Invictus Games closing concert, Olympic Park, review: 'heroic endeavour'". The Daily Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group. Retrieved 15 September 2014.
  27. ↑ "PRINCE HARRY ANNOUNCES SECOND INVICTUS GAMES IN ORLANDO". Invictus Games Foundation. Archived from the original on 2 May 2016.
  28. ↑ "PRINCE HARRY JOINS FIRST LADY MICHELLE OBAMA AND DR. BIDEN TO OFFICIALLY LAUNCH INVICTUS GAMES ORLANDO 2016". Invictus Games Foundation. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016.
  29. ↑ "Military Adaptive Sports Inc. (MASI)". Invictus Games 2016.
  30. ↑ "Board Members: Military Adaptive Sports Inc". Invictus Games 2016.
  31. ↑ "Prince Harry Announces 2016 Invictus Games Coming to United States" (PDF). Invictus Games 2016.
  32. ↑ "Countries". Invictus Games 2016 - Orlando - May 8–12 - ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. Retrieved 12 May 2016.
  33. ↑ "Invictus Games 2016". Invictus Games 2016 official website.
  34. ↑ "Prince Harry Announces Third Invictus Games in Toronto" (Press release). London: Invictus Games Foundation. The Canadian Press. 16 March 2016. Retrieved 2016-03-16.
  35. ↑ "2017 Invictus Games Venues – Locations, Descriptions & Photos". Retrieved 20 June 2016.
  36. ↑ Dan Taekema (16 March 2016). "Toronto to host Invictus Games and Prince Harry in 2017". thestar.com. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
  37. ↑ Oliver Sachgau (29 April 2016). "Meet Vimy, the 2017 Invictus Games mascot". thestar.com. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
  38. ↑ "Countries". Nations - Invictus Games 2017. Retrieved 20 June 2017.
  39. ↑ "Invictus Games Sports". Invictus Games 2017 official website.
  40. ↑ "FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS". Invictus Games Foundation. Retrieved 2016-05-16.
  41. ↑ "Gold Coast to bid to host Prince Harry's Invictus Games". Gold Coast Bulletin. 5 November 2015.
  42. ↑ "Prince Harry names Sydney as 2018 Invictus Games host". BBC News. 14 August 2017.
  43. ↑ "Countries". Nations - Invictus Games 2018. Retrieved 19 December 2017.
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