Boost for veteran sport

The Australian Government has committed $9 million in funding to support Invictus Australia over the next three years to support the organisation’s important sports programs for wounded, injured and ill veterans.

The funding will enable Invictus Australia to deliver their Adaptive Sports Program, run in partnership with the Department of Defence, which helps to optimise veterans’ physical and mental health, improving their quality of life.

The funding also supports the representation of Invictus athletes at various international military games, including the well-known Invictus Games, which will take place in September 2023 in Dusseldorf, Germany.

Participation in sport and physical activity is an important contributor to health and wellbeing, particularly during recovery and rehabilitation. It also brings people together, providing opportunities to connect with broader communities, and creating new friendships.

It enables members of our veteran community to participate in sport with peers who understand what they have been through in their service and the challenges they face in their civilian lives.

Learn more by visiting the Invictus Australia website.

Minister for Veterans’ Affairs Matt Keogh hosted the Invictus Challenge at Parliament House on 28 September. The challenge saw parliamentarians going up against Invictus athletes in various adaptive sports, including wheelchair rugby league, bowls and indoor rowing. See images below.

Minister for Veterans' Affairs Matt Keogh is trying out wheelchair rugby league, he is about to shake hands with a participant

Minister Keogh and Anthony McQueen from the Canberra Raiders – a sports partner of Invictus Australia.

Three men and a woman posing in front of Invictus banner

veteran Ashley Milne; Minister Keogh; Minister for Aged Care, Anika Wells; Bek Milne (partner of Ashley).

Three men in active wear posing next to Invictus banner

Assistant Minister for Veterans’ Affairs, Matt Thistlethwaite; CEO Invictus Australia, Michael Hartung OAM; Minister for Veterans’ Affairs, Matt Keogh.