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HALIFAX – Dave Innes was an 18-year-old gunman at the Canadian Airborne Regiment when he broke his back at five locations
Training for a war-torn Bosnia deployment in April 1990 , the young paratrooper from North Bay, Ont., was moving in a 2.5-ton truck with about two dozen members of his artillery battery when the vehicle hit black ice, deviated from the air, and then hit the road. a cliff of 10 meters and turned twice – opposite end.
"It was bad," says the 47-year-old veteran. "They had told my family that I had a 50-50 chance … I'm lucky to be here, period."
At one time ceremony on the Halifax waterfront Wednesday, Innes was officially named among the 40 athletes competing for Canada this fall at Invictus Games 2018 in Sydney, Australia
The International Event, scheduled from 20 to 27 October, aims to harness the power of sport to inspire the recovery and rehabilitation of physically and mentally injured members of the military. Staff and veterans.
Innes, who now uses a wheelchair to get around, will participate in her first Invictus Games. He will represent Canada in powerlifting, indoor rowing and the notoriously rough sport of wheelchair basketball.
A bald man with a grizzled goatee, Innes exudes strength and determination. His neck, biceps and forearms are covered with complex and colorful tattoos.
And through the muscles that wave between his broad shoulders, a newly carved tattoo reads: "I am the master of my destiny. I am the captain of my soul. "
The words are taken from the Victorian poem" Invictus ", written in 1875 by William Ernest Henley.
" I trained hard, "he says, admitting that training this week's camp at the base Canadian Forces Halifax was punitive, though rewarding.
More than 600 veterans and serving members from across Canada applied to participate in the Games – those chosen for the team come from all walks of life and all ranks.
"When we meet, there is no division," says Innes
During the ceremony held on a jetty of the Royal Canadian Navy, CEO Michael Burns, of Invictus Games of Toronto, summed up the main purpose of the event.
"These Games do not concern the finish line, but these really aim to join the starting line, "he said," for many of these members from the Invictus Games Canada 2018 team, the simple fact of being here in Halifax has been a success, a triumph of their spirit. "
More than 500 competitors from 18 nations are expected to participate in 11 different events . including archery, cycling, sailing and wheelchair basketball, sitting volleyball and wheelchair rugby and wheelchair tennis
"For the first time in many years, for several members of the team, again uniforms and wearing this maple leaf with pride, "said Burns." But more than anything, it's an opportunity for them to have a mission and a goal – something that is often lost after serving their country. "
The Canadian team includes 18 members of the Armed Forces and 22 veterans, all of whom have contracted an illness or suffered an injury physical or mental during their military service
Brig.Mark Misener, commander of the joint military personnel support unit and Team Canada 's chief of mission, said that members of the Canadian Forces. team brought a high level of dedication and perseverance. [19659002] "All were faced with a mental or physical illness … but in reaching out to others, involving them in sport, and their own courage and determination, they were able to overcome the challenges to which they were face. "
Innes says that the preparation of the Games has inspired him to reach more veterans in his community.And he plans to return to school in September to study strength and fitness, which will Will help achieve his goal of becoming a Paralympic style coach.
Prince Harry, who served as a soldier in Afghanistan, created Invictus Games, The Games of last September in Toronto attracted attention international when Harry and his girlfriend of the time, Meghan Markle, were photographed at a tennis match that stood by hand for their first official appearance together
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