PROUD TO COMPETE

NINE Townsville serving and former serving Defence personnel have been selected to represent Australia at the Invictus Games 2018.

Defence Minister Marise Payne announced the participants forming the Australian team at the Sydney Opera House yesterday. The locals representing our country are:

Jeff Wright: captain of the wheelchair rugby team; wheelchair basketball.

Trudi Lines: wheelchair rugby.

Beau King: athletics and power lifting.

Damien Irish: athletics, power lifting and indoor rowing. Michael Lyddiard: cycling. Tim Grover: cycling. Peter Brown: discus, shot put and rowing.

Peter Arbuckle: wheelchair basketball, wheelchair rugby and sailing.

Davin Bretherton: wheel- chair rugby, basketball and sailing.

They are among 72 Australian and 500 international athletes from 18 nations competing in Sydney. This will be Mr Wright’s second time competing in the games.

“Any time you can represent Australia at any level is a real honour,” he said.

“To be able to captain the rugby team this year is really special for me personally. The team’s really tight. I think it’s going to get better with more training.”

Mr Arbuckle, who was discharged in 1997, said the experience of competing in the games was “amazing”.

“The role that sport can play in rehab … you can’t put it in words how much it benefits people and it really helped me along the way,” he said.

“It gives you something to focus on if you have an end goal, you focus on that end goal … also the camaraderie you get with your teammates.”

Mr Bretherton, a former sergeant, was injured in the army during a training exercise which eventually resulted in the amputation of his leg.

He said working out with his teammates in Townsville made training a lot easier.

“The trials this year are a lot more competition. You’ve really had to work for your position,” he said.

The Invictus Games is an international sporting event for serving and former serving Defence personnel that will be held from October 20- 27 in Sydney. The Australian Defence Force and RSL are supporting the combined teams to compete at the games.

Minister Payne said the games gave the competitors the ability to overcome the mental and physical wounds left by their service.

“The Games are an opportunity to honour the service and sacrifice of the men and women who defend our freedoms and values,” she said.

“Every Australian will be cheering on our team to succeed on home soil this October.”