interview
and former serving military personnel
from 17 nations.
Australia’s Invictus Games team
comprised 43 competitors in 11
disciplines, and the team returned
home from Canada with 51 medals.
But to competitors like Jeff, the
Invictus Games is more than medals,
more than just sport – it's about
capturing hearts, challenging minds
and changing lives.
Jeff joined the army in 1986 as
a driver. He served in East Timor as
an Operations Sergeant in 1999, and
reached the rank of Warrant Officer
before discharging in 2003. He said
sport had played a big role in his
rehabilitation following a training
accident and a motorcycle accident.
“I sustained a knee injury in
a training accident in 1998, and
subsequent to that had a motorcycle
accident in 2015 that I shouldn’t have
survived,” he said.
“I became a paraplegic, had my
face reconstructed, suffered vision
loss and vocal cord damage. It’s
Jeff Wright competed in wheelchair
basketball (above) and wheelchair rugby
(opposite page) at the Games.
certainly been an epic rehab journey
for me.
“People at rehab in hospital
suggested I try wheelchair sport. I
didn’t think I’d be ready physically or training in the lead-up, particularly
mentally. But the first come and try training camps held in New South
night that I went to in Townsville, I fell Wales with international players; as
in love straight away, I felt great and I
guess I felt like I wasn’t disabled.
“We spend our life trying not to
feel disabled – whether it’s how you
well as “being treated like a rock star”
be in short supply when you’re in a with police escorts to competition
wheelchair.” venues in Toronto.
As well as wheelchair rugby, Jeff
Jeff said he would recommend the
dress, how you interact with people. competed in wheelchair basketball at Invictus Games to anyone who wants
With sport, you are just an athlete the Invictus Games, with the Aussies to use sport as a vehicle to support
playing rugby or any other sport as a finishing fifth – to which Jeff said: “We their rehabilitation.
team, encouraging each other, and beat the Kiwis which was good!”
competing in a team environment –
because that team environment can
linkonline.com.au
Other highlights of the Games
experience for Jeff included the
Sydney will host the 2018 Invictus
Games.
www.invictusgames2018.org
invictus games
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