The Invictus Games Come To My Neighbourhood
Between September 9-16, Düsseldorf will be hosting the 2023 Invictus Games. Düsseldorf is just about one hour by public means from where I live. So this looks like another great opportunity to see some of the world's best athletes live and in action, to have some sneaky peaks behind the scenes, and to chat with people from the industry, support organisations, and other people with a disability. And while we are waiting for the games to begin, here is a bit of background information about the Invictus Games. Straight from the horse's mouth, so to speak (all, from the Invictus Games press briefing package).
What Are The Invictus Games?
A bit of Latin to get started: Invictus means unconquered, invincible.
Inspired by his own attendance at the US Warrior Games in 2013, Harry, the Duke of Sussex, established the Invictus Games in 2014. He is also the patron of the INVICTUS GAMES FOUNDATION.
It is an international multi-day sporting event for servicemen and women who have suffered permanent impairments as a result of injuries during deployment and in the line of duty, or due to physical or mental illness. The goal of the Games is to support the participants’ rehabilitation, and to raise public awareness of the concerns of the wounded, injured and sick service personnel and their strokes of fate. The focus of the Games is on the competitors as individuals, who will compete in up to 10 different disciplines, as well as on their family members and friends.
What Is The Motto Of The Invictus Games Düsseldorf 2023?
The INVICTUS GAMES DÜSSELDORF 2023 are much more than “just” an international sports festival. They focus on the people ,who have sustained physical or psychological injuries while serving their country, or who have become seriously ill. People who, with their will and courage to face life have won a new place in life and created new perspectives, despite severe impairments. These servicemen and women, as well as their families, deserve respect and recognition for their service and their willingness to make sacrifices, but also for their unbending will to participate in social life.
With the Invictus Games in Germany, we would like to raise awareness for inclusion and diversity. Under the motto “A HOME FOR RESPECT”, the City of Düsseldorf accommodates this aim of the Bundeswehr by providing a place for very personal dialogue and warm hospitality.
Our goal is to spread the spirit of “A HOME FOR RESPECT” from Düsseldorf to the whole of Germany and beyond. Citizens should gain new perspectives on the social role and perception of the people in the armed forces. Together with their Family & Friends, competitors should experience the Games as a visible sign of appreciation and recognition for their courage to face life.
The motto “A HOME FOR RESPECT” also characterises the spirit and idea behind the Games: Our soldiers deserve recognition and respect from society as a whole for their service – respect has a home in Düsseldorf.
In What Types Of Sport Will The Participants Compete?
The ten disciplines of the Invictus Games Düsseldorf 2023 are: Athletics, cycling, archery, indoor rowing, sitting volleyball, powerlifting, swimming, wheelchair basketball wheelchair rugby, and table tennis.
In Düsseldorf, we expect to welcome about 500 competitors from 20 nations as well as 1,000 Family & Friends.
What Contribution Would The Invictus Games Düsseldorf 2023 Like To Make For People With Disabilities?
The Invictus Games in Germany are committed to the modern concept of disability, as worded in the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The participating competitors, but also their families and friends, are ambassadors for overcoming visible and non-visible barriers together, which prevent people with physical, mental or sensory impairments from participating equally in society. With this broadened approach involving society as a whole, Germany is going a special way with the Games in Düsseldorf.
Our goal is to provide incentives, impetus, and stimulus, and thus to support the national action plan of the Federal Government for implementing the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
Who Is Hosting The Invictus Games Düsseldorf 2023?
The Federal Ministry of Defence is the organiser of the Games.
The Bundeswehr and the City of Düsseldorf are jointly hosting them. This makes the INVICTUS GAMES DÜSSELDORF 2023 the first event that will be held within the framework of a cooperation between a military organisation and a city. The MERKUR SPIEL-ARENA with the adjacent sports park and the Rheinbad swimming pool will be the venues. Together, they form the “Invictus Games Park”. The competitions taking place here will be accompanied by a varied supporting programme, with cultural events and a range of open sporting activities on offer for the public.
In September 2019, the Federal Ministry of Defence (FMoD), representing Germany, and the City of Düsseldorf were successful in their joint application to the Invictus Games Foundation to host the Games in 2022. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Games were postponed to 2023.
Learn more about the games and where to get your tickets: https://invictusgames23.de/en/the-games-2023/venue/
Post by Bjoern Eser, the founder of and shaker and maker behind The Active Amputee.
Further Reading
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Cycling to regain my life
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