Competitors are gathering in Toronto ahead of the Invictus Games that will officially kick off this weekend.
CP24’s Travis Dhanraj was on board a VIA train packed with Team Canada members travelling from Ottawa to Toronto on Thursday, where he reported that there was a sense of camaraderie as teammates chatted and played cards in their seats.
Many of the participants, wearing their red, white and black Invictus Games t-shirts, shared their excitement.
“It’s pretty awesome to have the opportunity to play in the Invictus Games. I’m absolutely thrilled,” Retired Cpl. Jayson Nickol said of the multi-national sporting event that honours injured, ill and wounded service men and women and veterans.
Veteran sports broadcaster Brian Williams is host of the games’ opening and closing ceremonies.
“Doing this is an absolute thrill. The stories you will hear, that we’ve been researching, that you will see on Saturday are just… they’re beyond special,” Williams told CTV’s Your Morning on Thursday.
Williams, who has covered 14 Olympics, said he was drawn to the Invictus Games in light of the respect he gained for the military in 2007, during a trip to Kandahar, Afghanistan.
Williams noted the incredible courage of the men and women participating in this year’s games and said that, despite his many years covering sports, this event is special.
“I have never been as excited and privileged, as I am to be working with these amazing men and women,” he said.
Team Canada Deputy Manager Joe Carelli said he is proud of the veterans who trained for months leading up to the games.
“This is a fantastic opportunity to show Canada the resilience that these men and women have, and to show the power of sport,” he said.
International participants also arrived at Toronto’s Pearson International Airport on Thursday.
Members of the Greater Toronto Area Ukrainian-Canadian community sang traditional songs and brought flowers to greet participants from their homeland.
“It was really incredible. We weren’t expecting too many people coming and waiting for us,” said Team Ukraine Captain Oleksandr Pysarenko.
Renata Roman of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress said the arrival of these participants is particularly meaningful given the ongoing military tensions between Kiev and Moscow.
“A lot of their comrades are still on the front lines, and they have a heavy weight to carry,” Roman said.
Team Netherlands participant Dennis Danberserlln is living with post-traumatic stress disorder after serving three years on an Afghan battlefield. He said training for Invictus has given him a positive focus.
“It helps me to have a goal,” he said. “And also have a goal after Invictus, to continue sporting and have a family.”
Prince Harry created the Invictus Games in 2014, to bring attention to the challenges for injured military personnel and veterans. The games in Toronto will feature 550 competitors participating in 12 adaptive sports including sitting volleyball, archery, swimming and cycling.
The Invictus Games starts Sept. 23, with an opening ceremony including performances by Laura Wright, Alessia Cara, and Sarah McLachlan. The event runs until Sept. 30, when a closing ceremony will feature guests including Bruce Springsteen, Bryan Adams, Coeur de Pirate and Kelly Clarkson.
