sport, leisure
& travel
Aussie team announced
A
ustralia’s 43-person team for the 2017 Invictus Games, to be held in Toronto, Canada, was
announced last month. Comprised of current and former military personnel, the team is supported
by the Australian Defence Force (ADF) and the Returned and Services League (RSL). In this edition
of Link we meet some of the athletes set to compete.
SQUADRON LEADER DANNY JEFFERY
GARRY ROBINSON
ADF Service: Joined the ADF Service: Joined
Air Force in 1983 as an the Army in 1994 and
Aeronautical Engineer. discharged in 2016 as a
I have participated in Special Forces Sniper Team
several operational Commander. Completed
deployments including multiple deployments in
Afghanistan, East Timor Afghanistan and East Timor.
and the Middle East. Competing in: Cycling and
Competing in: Athletics, swimming.
wheelchair rugby and What is the nature of your
wheelchair tennis.
injury or illness? I was in a
What is the nature of Black Hawk helicopter that crashed in Afghanistan in 2010.
your injury or illness? I suffered a severe traumatic brain injury and fractured
I suffer from injuries to my spinal cord, knee and lower multiple bones including my lower leg that would not mend
back as well as depression, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and just over a year later it had to be amputated. I had a lot
(PTSD) and hearing loss following my deployments. of internal bleeding, had to have my spleen removed and
What role has sport played in your rehabilitation? The I also had a punctured lung. I was in an induced coma for
opportunity to participate in adaptive sports has been
a valuable tool in my pathway to recovery. It provides a
four weeks, while my body healed and I spent two years in
hospital rehabilitating from my brain injury.
measurable goal that drives me to improve not only my What role has sport played in your rehabilitation? Being
physical fitness, but also my diet and eating habits which part of the Invictus Games in 2014 and 2016 gave me that
deteriorated. Training and participation combats my low feeling of belonging again. Each day I struggle to get out
moods and feelings of exhaustion and reduces the impacts of bed, but the Invictus Games has given me something to
of stress upon both my personal and work life. focus on and work toward.
Why did you apply for the Invictus Games? Training, Why did you apply for the Invictus Games? I wanted to
participating and interacting with other wounded, injured compete alongside other wounded, injured and ill serving
and ill people boosts my confidence and self-esteem and former serving personnel. This gives me the moral
beyond the thoughts I currently have of myself. In my mind courage and inspiration to continue my recovery.
I feel like a broken vase with limited motivation. Adaptive
sport events like the Invictus Games allow me to see and
hear about the challenges and adversity that others are
experiencing yet are still moving forward.
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sport, leisure & travel
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