Ottawa – Team Canada left Ottawa for the 2023 Invictus Games, which will take place September 9-16, 2023, in Düsseldorf, Germany. The athletes have trained hard to ready themselves for these games as they embark on this major milestone in their road to recovery.
Team Canada is represented at the Invictus Games by 31 competitors – 12 serving Canadian Armed Forces members and 19 Veterans – each of whom acquired an illness or a physical or mental health injury while in service to Canada.
Team Canada will join more than 500 competitors from 21 other nations competing in ten adaptive sports throughout the course of the Invictus Games Düsseldorf 2023: archery, cycling, athletics, indoor rowing, powerlifting, sitting volleyball, swimming, wheelchair basketball, wheelchair rugby and for the first time, table tennis. Canada will host the next Invictus Games in February 2025 in Vancouver/Whistler, along with four host First Nations, for the first ever adaptive winter games.
“Right across our country, Canadians are inspired by the resilience and dedication of the injured and ill Canadian Armed Forces members and Veterans who will represent our country at the Invictus Games. The games offer our injured and ill heroes a special opportunity to demonstrate their tenacity and achievement, and we will all be cheering them on. We could not be prouder of Team Canada, and we wish our athletes the best of luck in Düsseldorf.” – Bill Blair, Minister of National Defence
“Next week at the Invictus Games in Düsseldorf our Veterans and service members will represent Canada as an important and exciting part of their recovery through sport. I look forward to cheering on Team Canada as they strive for excellence at the Invictus Games and I wish each and every one of the competitors the best of luck as they bring it home for Canada. All of Canada will be cheering for you and we could not be more proud of our Team!” – Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence