Canada is hosting the 2025 Invictus Games from February 8 – 16 in Vancouver and Whistler, British Columbia. For the first time the games with be a hybrid of winter and summer sports featuring Alpine Skiing, Snowboarding, Nordic Skiing, Biathlon, Skeleton, and Wheelchair curling, along with indoor rowing, sitting volleyball, swimming, wheelchair rugby and basketball. Team Canada has 56 participants competing in all 11 sports against over 500 competitors in 25 countries.
The Invictus Games were created by Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, with the goal of improving the lives of injured and ill service members and veterans through sport. The first games were held in London, England in 2014, and have been hosted by five other countries since then, with Canada being the first to host twice.
Meaford resident Jeremy Janssens will be competing in swimming and sitting volleyball for Team Canada. As a youth he swam competitively but said, “This is probably the most serious I’ve taken it in a long time because now I have a goal.” Since July he has been training six days a week and is feeling much more confident. After visiting the facilities at the University of British Columbia where they will be swimming, he said, “I’m not nervous anymore, more excited, now I’ve seen the venue and know physically I can do it.”
Team Canada focuses on giving everyone who wants to represent Canada a chance to participate, which is why team members only compete once and have to apply to join. Janssens had applied three times previously and was finally accepted on his fourth try.
“I started crying, I’m going to wear my country’s flag, I’m going to be able to represent Canada on a different scale.”
At the Invictus Games, Team Canada isn’t focused on medal count but the empowerment of the competitors in sport, and as Janssens says, “This is all about recovery through sports and teamwork.” But Janssens does admit he tends to have a more competitive nature. He set team records at training camp and believes there is a chance for him to stack in the top eight, although he is hoping for a silver ‘or possibly higher’.
Some countries have “Unconquered Teams”, which means they are unable to put together a full line-up in a team sport. In such cases, like sitting volleyball, other countries step up to fill in a team so these countries can still participate in team sports. The games are truly competed in a spirit of comradery and unity. It is a unique experience for participants who are, as Janssens said, “Finally with a team that understands because we’re all injured in some way, we realize we’re all finally in a group of soldiers – we understand each other. Finally, somebody gets what I went through being injured.”
Support for the games and the participants is headed by the Canadian Forces’ Solider On program and the True Patriot Love Foundation. The goal of the games and Soldier On is to encourage recovery through an active lifestyle, sport, and create understanding and respect for people who are currently serving, or previously served their country. Janssens said, “True Patriot Love was bending over backwards for us to make this work.” They were the ones in the background sorting out venues, like the Nordic and Alpine ski legacy facilities from the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games which will be used during Invictus.
Each country has their own ‘house’, where participants are encouraged to come and hang out. During the games the currency is pins. Competitors are given lanyards which they are encouraged to fill up with other countries’ flag pins by the end of the games. This isn’t the only trading that goes on as jerseys and apparel all get traded between athletes. “A lot of people after the games, like basketball teams … when they win, the team captains will trade jerseys.”
Opening ceremonies take place on February 8 at BC Place and will be covered by TSN, CBC, and CTV. Tune in to support Janssens, his family, and the people who have put their bodies and minds on the line in service of their countries.
