UniSA Connect

Winning Gold at the Invictus Games with UniSA’s Wellbeing Program

First responders and serving defence force personnel are placed under immense stress to keep our community safe. Just by doing their job they put themselves in risky situations on our behalf. Understandably, this stress takes its toll on their wellbeing and mental health.

The University of South Australia’s Invictus Pathways Program (IPP) - the only one of its kind in Australia - helps transform the lives of first responders, serving and veteran defence force personnel by providing an integrated wellbeing, empowerment and sports program delivered by our Exercise Science and Allied Health students.

Inspired by Prince Harry’s Invictus Games and the power of adaptive sports, the IPP supports participants to re-engage with a community of like-minded people through physical activity, whilst also supporting those who want to compete in the Warrior Games, Invictus Games, regional games and local competitions.

Participants connect with UniSA’s students and join activities which include swimming, archery, cycling, kayaking, sailing, wheelchair sports and seated volleyball. Most importantly the program provides a supportive community that helps reinstate the individual back into society.

For Army veteran Darren Peters, UniSA’s IPP could not have come at better time.

“The IPP has been so important to my mental and physical recovery and re-integration back into society after serving in the military," Darren says”

“I was in the Army for about 22 years and served all over the world; Iraq, Afghanistan, East Timor, just to name a few places.”

“I was medically discharged in 2008 and worked in the private sector until August 2017 when I just couldn’t do it anymore. My time in the military left me with significant injuries from head to toe, including only having 47% lung capacity from dust and diesel fumes while on tour in the desert.”

"The program has been the pathway to excelling in something and believing in myself again. Being a part of a team and bonding with people just like me has really helped mentally, as well as physically.”

After a relatively short period of training, the IPP sports and wellbeing program and the personalised treatment from UniSA students, got Darren and his teammates to qualify for the Invictus Games in Sydney in 2018 where he represented Australia in archery and wheelchair basketball.

However, winning gold proved to be a conflicting experience for Darren. Though he was excited and proud of himself for doing so well, at the same time he felt guilt to be progressed through the competition, as it meant his competitor was therefore was out.

During the semi-final, Darren became so overwhelmed and broke down. He kept apologising and saying, “I’m so sorry” to his fellow competitor from Denmark. He recognised what Darren was going through and gave him his red shirt, which he wore on his belt as he won gold – they ultimately shared this special moment together.

Each competitor from all over the world at the Invictus Games share the same challenges as Darren does. The only difference is that they are separated by thousands of kilometres.

This camaraderie is the reason why the Invictus Games and the IPP are so meaningful.

“The stadiums are filled with people who are either in the military, are veterans, and our families. I thought competing in front of 10,000 people would be too much for me, but the feeling of community proved to be calming.”

“So many of us are dealing with the after-effects from our time in service and experience PTSD, depression, and anxiety. These are complex issues that we have brought home with us and ultimately affect our families and loved ones too.”

Before UniSA’s IPP, Darren struggled to deal with his PTSD, depression and anxiety, but the sports and wellbeing program gave him a different, more positive, mindset, and has been instrumental in learning how to live with his mental health challenges.

Now he comes home to his wife and three daughters empowered, sharing stories of what he achieved that day.

“My wife of 20 years, Nicole, has seen the positive change in me and is grateful for the program.”

“She also served in the military in the Air Force and even became a participant too after seeing the changes in me too.”