Invictus Games facts for kids
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| Motto | I AM |
|---|---|
| First event | 2014 |
| Headquarters | London, United Kingdom |
| Governance body | Founding patron: Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex Chairman: Lord Allen of Kensington Chief Executive: Dominic Reid Trustees: Edward Lane Fox Melanie Richards Paddy Nicoll Karen Briggs JJ Chalmers Conny Wenting Jonathan Edwards |
The Invictus Games are a special international sports event. They started in 2014. These games are for soldiers, sailors, and air force members who were hurt or became sick while serving their country. This includes those still serving and those who have left the military.
The name 'Invictus' comes from a Latin word meaning 'unconquered'. This name was chosen to show the strong spirit of these service members. It highlights what they can achieve even after their injuries.
Prince Harry, the Ministry of Defence, and Sir Keith Mills helped create the Invictus Games. Prince Harry got the idea in 2013. He visited the Warrior Games in the United States. There, he saw how sports could help people heal, both mentally and physically.
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Starting the Invictus Games
Prince Harry officially announced the Games on March 6, 2014. This happened at London's Copper Box arena. This arena was also used for the 2012 Olympics. Prince Harry wanted to bring a similar international sports event to the United Kingdom. He had seen a British team compete at the US Warrior Games in Colorado in 2013.
The event was planned in just ten months. It had support from Boris Johnson, who was the Mayor of London at the time. The London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games and the Ministry of Defence also helped.
Money for the Games came from a special fund called the Endeavour Fund. This fund helps veterans recover. The British government also gave money from bank fines. Jaguar Land Rover and Boeing also became sponsors.
Prince Harry said the Games would "show the power of sport to inspire recovery." He also said they would help people "demonstrate life beyond disability." He hoped the Games would make sure injured troops are not forgotten. This was especially important as Britain's involvement in the War in Afghanistan was ending.
Where the Games Have Been Held
The Invictus Games have been held in different cities around the world. Here is a list of the host cities:
| Number | Year | City | Country | Venue | Nations | Opening ceremony | Closing ceremony |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2014 | London |  United Kingdom |
Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park | 14 | 10 September 2014 | 14 September 2014 |
| 2 | 2016 | Orlando |  United States |
ESPN Wide World of Sports | 15 | 8 May 2016 | 12 May 2016 |
| 3 | 2017 | Toronto |  Canada |
Air Canada Centre | 17 | 23 September 2017 | 30 September 2017 |
| 4 | 2018 | Sydney |  Australia |
Sydney Olympic Park | 18 | 20 October 2018 | 27 October 2018 |
| 5 | 2020 | The Hague |  Netherlands |
Sportcampus Zuiderpark | 17 | 16 April 2022 | 22 April 2022 |
| 6 | 2023 | Düsseldorf |  Germany |
Merkur Spiel-Arena | 22 | 9 September 2023 | 16 September 2023 |
| 7 | 2025 | Vancouver-Whistler | Canada |
Vancouver Convention Centre | 22 | 6 February 2025 | 17 February 2025 |
The Invictus Games Foundation
The Invictus Games Foundation owns the Invictus Games brand. It chooses which cities will host the Games in the future. The Foundation also manages the sports, rules, and how athletes are grouped.
Cities can apply to host the Games. This process started in November 2014.
Who Runs the Foundation?
The main people who lead the Invictus Games Foundation are:
- Patron: Prince Harry
- Chairman: Charles Allen, Baron Allen of Kensington
- Trustees
- Edward Lane Fox
- Melanie Richards
- Paddy Nicoll
- Karen Briggs
- JJ Chalmers
- Conny Wenting
- Jonathan Edwards
Ambassadors
Lewis Hamilton, a famous Formula One World Champion, became the first ambassador for the Games. He visited a recovery center before this announcement. In July 2015, Lewis invited some Invictus Games athletes to the 2015 British Grand Prix.
History of the Games
2014 Invictus Games in London
The very first Invictus Games took place in London from September 10 to 14, 2014. About 300 athletes from 13 countries participated. These countries had fought alongside the United Kingdom in recent military actions. Many events were held at the same places used for the 2012 Olympics. These included the Copper Box and the Lee Valley Athletics Centre. The BBC channel broadcast the Games.
Fourteen countries were invited to the 2014 Games. Teams from all invited countries, except Iraq, took part.
The closing concert was shown on BBC Two. It featured live music from bands like Foo Fighters and Kaiser Chiefs.
2016 Invictus Games in Orlando
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On July 14, 2015, Prince Harry announced that the 2016 Invictus Games would be in Orlando, Florida. They took place from May 8 to 12, 2016. The events were held at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.
Prince Harry, along with USA's First Lady Michelle Obama and Second Lady Jill Biden, officially launched the 2016 Games.
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To bring the Games to the US, a group called Military Adaptive Sports Inc. (MASI) was formed. All 14 countries from the 2014 Games were invited again. Jordan was also invited for the first time.
2017 Invictus Games in Toronto
Toronto, Canada, hosted the 2017 Invictus Games in September 2017. This was during Canada's 150th birthday celebrations. Toronto had also hosted the Pan American and Parapan American Games in 2015. So, they planned to have more athletes, countries, and sports. They even added ice events.
Unlike earlier Games held in one place, the 2017 Games used many venues around Toronto. The Air Canada Centre hosted the opening and closing ceremonies. Other sports like archery, wheelchair tennis, and cycling were held at different locations.
All 15 countries from the 2016 Games were invited back. Romania and Ukraine were new countries invited to participate.
2018 Invictus Games in Sydney
Cities could bid to host the 2018 Invictus Games until December 2015. Gold Coast, Australia, wanted to host, using places built for the 2018 Commonwealth Games. But in November 2016, Sydney, Australia, was chosen as the host city.
The Royal Australian Mint made a special $1 coin for the Games. It even had Braille text on it.
All 17 countries from the 2017 Games were invited again. Poland also received an invitation.
2020 Invictus Games in The Hague
The Games were supposed to be held from May 9 to 16, 2020, in The Hague, Netherlands. They were planned for the Zuiderpark Stadion. However, they were postponed to 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Then, they were postponed again to spring 2022. The new dates were April 16 to April 22, 2022.
In April 2021, it was announced that Netflix would make a documentary series called Heart of Invictus. This series would follow the athletes from the 2022 Invictus Games. Prince Harry would help produce the series and appear in it. The money from the documentary helps the Invictus Games Foundation. It supports their work with injured service members and veterans around the world.
2023 Invictus Games in Düsseldorf
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The Games were originally planned for 2022 in Düsseldorf, Germany. They were to be held at the Merkur Spiel-Arena. But because the 2020 Games were moved to 2022, the Düsseldorf Games were then moved to 2023.
2025 Invictus Games in Vancouver and Whistler
On April 22, 2022, Prince Harry announced that the 2025 Games will be in Vancouver and Whistler, Canada. These will be the first Games to include winter sports for adaptive athletes. These sports will include alpine skiing, Nordic skiing, skeleton, and wheelchair curling.
A group called the True Patriot Love Foundation helped with the bid to host the Games. They worked with the Canadian government and local Indigenous nations.
See also
In Spanish: Invictus Games para niños
- Help for Heroes
- IWAS World Games
- Military sports
- Military World Games
