The moment competitors and their families and friends have been waiting for has finally arrived. Invictus Games Düsseldorf 2023 competition starts on 10 September following last night’s spectacular opening ceremony.
The first medal event of the games will see powerlifting kicking off with eight members of Team Australia taking to the bench at the Merkur Spiel-Arena in Düsseldorf.
The powerlifting event tests a competitor’s upper body strength and is won by the challenger who successfully lifts the heaviest weight.
Australian power lifting captain, Erin Brigden, said the team quickly came together to be a supportive group, lifting each other up during a number of training camps.
“It’s very quickly become a family environment; we’re all supporting each other and wanting each other to do the best we can.
“A lot of us come and offer advice and tips if something’s not working.
“You can always come and ask someone ‘what’s a better way to approach this’, or ‘have you got some tips, I feel like my technique is not on point’.
“We’ve also all got good banter in between.
“We all have some nicknames and all like taking a joke of each other but, when we’re serious, we’re all right there ready to support, give words of encouragement and just remind each other why we’re here and doing this.”
Competitors are each given three attempts to bench press the bar and must lower it in a controlled manner to their chest and hold it stationary before pushing it back to arms-length.
There are five bodyweight categories for women and five for men.
With just three lifts, each two-minutes in maximum duration, it’s go hard or go home, Erin explained.
“Effectively our entire competition is done in six minutes,” Erin said.
“You don’t need to plan a whole day of conserving energy. You get in, you hype up, you get ready to go, you go out and do your lifts and it’s done.
“The good thing is that because it’s only three lifts, you really get to push yourself.”
Donning the green and gold for the Games has been a huge step in Erin’s rehabilitation journey.
“I didn’t have that great feeling of pride when I left my service, so to be able to do this and feel proud; it’s going to be incredible.
“I’m really excited to meet the other competitors. I’ve already met a few and they’re just incredible people.
“When I watch videos from The Hague (Invictus Games 2020), sports like the swimming; you’d watch them race to the wall and the first thing they’d do is look to their partner next to them, they’d have a laugh, they’d have a hug and they’d celebrate with someone from a completely different country.
“I’m very excited for that camaraderie with both my own country as well as others.”
The powerlifting team includes Erin Brigden (IP3), Laura Reynell (IP3), Kurt Ludke (IP8), Able Seaman Taryn Dickens (IP4), Francine Dudfield (IP4), Brooke Mead (IP4), Daniel King (IP9/10) Michael (IP8) and Stephen Lockwood (IP9/10).
Sunday also marks the first day of athletics competition with both track and field programs getting under way.
Six Team Australia members will take part in heats, with some finals also planned for the same day. The rest of the finals are scheduled for Monday 11 September.
Aussies will be in action in field events including discus seated and standing and shotput seated and standing. Track events include 100-metre ambulant and seated, 200-metre ambulant and seated, 400-metre seated and 1500-metre ambulant and seated.
Aussies in action include Karney Armstrong, Flight Sergeant Nathan King, Alex Jay, Verity Sanchez, Ainsley Hooker and Able Seaman Jamie McGlinchey.
Later in the day in what some would say is the highlight of the games, the wheelchair rugby, also dubbed “murder ball”, kicks off.
Considered one of the toughest sports in the world, the Aussie wheelchair rugby team will take on rival, the United States, in the first pool match. Team Australia takes on New Zealand in the second match, before their final pool match against Team Canada.
Wheelchair rugby is a sport that builds core and arm strength, increases endurance, and improves coordination and tactical skills.
The wheelchair rugby team is James Barker, Able Seaman Boatswains Mate Cooper Blackwood, Kurt Ludke, Xavier Green, Danielle Hale, Shaun Hillman, Ainsley Hooker, Lenny Redrose, Andrew Tebbit and Karl Woodward.
