Real-life resilience - The Invictus Games

Welcome to the Sunday edition of The Resilience Brief where we dive into stories of real-life resilience. Sometimes I focus on celebrities, sometimes companies. Today I want to focus on a group of people who take the definition of resilience to a whole new level. This is the story of the athletes of The Invictus Games.

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Last weekend I had the chance to take my family to The Invictus Games that are wrapping up today in Vancouver and Whistler. It was truly an inspiring experience to see these men and women finding new purpose and energy in sports, pushing and supporting each other in the pursuit of a meaningful victory. We watched the wheelchair basketball and a team named “Unconquered 3” battled it out against The Ukraine for a solid win. Amazingly, the Unconquered team only met for the first time 15 minutes before they came out to the court. They came from a variety of countries and just wanted to get out there on the court and participate. They didn’t even speak the same language and had to find other ways to communicate…and they won the game!

Afterwards, team Colombia fought back to earn a hard-fought win against the UK. All teams displayed true grit and resilience, and it got me thinking about how inspiring these games are - not just for the athletes, but also for those who are able to go and watch. The games are a perfect demonstration of personal growth, adaptability, gratitude, empathy, communication, mindfulness - all pieces of the resilience puzzle.

How it all began.

The Invictus Games is an international sporting event for wounded service members and veterans, and the story behind their creation is worth knowing. Prince Harry, returning from Afghanistan in 2008, shared the airplane ride with three critically injured British soldiers and the coffin of a Danish soldier. It was a sobering moment for him to witness firsthand and comprehend the devastating impact of war on both the physical and mental states of the soldiers. However, that moment also planted a seed in Harry’s mind - what if he could help these soldiers find renewed energy and purpose for a life after the devastation of war?

Fast forward a few years later and he attended the American Warrior Games. Those games served as motivation to launch something for veterans outside of the USA. A year later, the inaugural Invictus Games took place in London. It was 2014 and that year the event lasted just 5 days. However, it has since grown to a 2-week event. The term "Invictus" means "unconquered" in Latin. And that is what these games represent: the unconquerable human spirit.

What hits me most about the Games isn't just the athletic achievements (though they're pretty awesome). It's watching someone who has lost something important find a way to keep moving forward. One time, as the basketball was painfully rolling towards the out of bounds line, I watched a player ravenously chase down that ball to protect it at all costs. And seeing veterans who have struggled with PTSD find purpose and community again by joining a team…these are the examples of real resilience!

3 takeaways from The Invictus Games:

First, resilience loves company. The Invictus Games show us that healing and growth happen better together. I’m sure many of us have noticed that our toughest challenges become more manageable when we stop trying to tackle them alone. Whether it’s personal or professional, having a support system changes everything. The people that we spend time with are critical to our ability to bounce forward.

Second, we can always redefine our limits. And then we can push right past them! These athletes didn't just accept their new circumstances; they completely reimagine what's possible. In our professional lives, we often put invisible boundaries around what we think we can achieve. "I'm not experienced enough for that role." "I could never speak in front of that many people." The Invictus Games is a fantastic reminder that our biggest limitations are often the ones we place on ourselves.

Finally, purpose is powerful medicine. For many athletes, these Games provide a new mission, a reason to push forward. In our own careers, having a clear sense of purpose can be the difference between giving up and pushing through. When work feels overwhelming, connecting back to our 'why' can be incredibly energizing.

I often say that resilience isn't about bouncing back to who we were before… it’s actually about bouncing forward into someone new - stronger, wiser, and more capable than we ever imagined! The Invictus Games remind us that our challenges don't define us. It's how we respond that really counts!

Until next time friends, stay resilient.

Carre @ Resilient Minds

PS - the poem “Invictus” is bloody powerful. I copied it below…

‘Invictus' by William Ernest Henley (1875)

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed. 

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find me, unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gait,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.