Prince Harry will be bringing an global sports competition for wounded troops to Toronto next year.
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Speaking to host Robin Roberts, Prince Harry explained that he felt compelled to support veterans following his own experiences in the army, which saw him carry out two tours of Afghanistan and rise to the rank of Apache helicopter commander before announcing his decision to leave in 2015.
Speaking to US TV show Good Morning America, the prince said: “Ten years in the Army was the best escape I ever had”.
“All I wanted to do was to prove to other people that I had a certain set of skills”.
It was also announced that Prince Harry will visit Toronto in May 2016 to officially launch the 2017 Invictus Games. If you would like to discuss another topic, look for a relevant article. Photo: GettyThe Invictus Games is to use the power of sport to inspire recovery, support rehabilitation and to gain respect for just what service members are struggling with.
The 2016 Invictus Games will be held at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando between May 8 and May 12 and will feature 500 participants from nations such as Afghanistan, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Iraq, Italy, Harry’s native United Kingdom and the United States. And having seen so many new people benefit from their journey to Orlando this year, I definitely didn’t want it to end here.
“Some of these guys should be dead”.
Bruno Guevremont, captain of Team Canada for the upcoming games, said taking part in the event in Canada will mean a great deal.
Harry said he was “perfectly positioned” to be “their voice and champion” after 10 years’ service and added that the event was an opportunity for former troops “to prove themselves”. “Never before have we had so many amputees survive from such unbelievably traumatic injuries”.
“I’m now lucky enough to watch someone who should be dead run the 100 metres”.
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“The invisible injuries … the stigma surrounding it is a massive issue”, Harry said. “The service men and women who participate in these Games deserve to be honoured and Toronto is proud to be the stage on which they will stand as they step into the world spotlight”, said Mayor of Toronto John Tory. “Just talking about it makes all the difference”.
