Born out of Prince Harry’s devotion to his fellow veterans, the Invictus Games celebrate the unbroken spirit of the men and women within the armed forces. The games see wounded, injured, or sick armed service personnel and veterans take part in nine sports including wheelchair basketball, sitting volleyball, and indoor rowing. First held in 2014 at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London, the games have been held across the world – in the United States, Canada, and Australia. In 2020, the games visited The Netherlands, and in 2025, they’ll be held in Canada.
Named after the Invictus, Latin for “unconquered” or “undefeated,” the event was inspired by the Warrior Games, a similar sporting competition held in the United States. The Games have always been a special project for Harry. He served for over ten weeks in Helmand, Afghanistan as a cornet in the Blues and Royals. Though he was pulled out of the tour of duty when an Australian magazine revealed his position (and many feared he would be a security risk for Taliban fighters looking to capture him), he returned to Afghanistan for a 20-week deployment in 2012-13 with the Army Air Corps.