Selfless athlete delivers Invictus Games gold

INNISFAIL’S Dave Connell has never let disability stop him from doing what he loves — and has returned from the Sydney Invictus Games with a gold medal to prove it.

The wheelchair rugby player lost his leg after years of work as a parachute instructor in the Australian Defence Force.

Despite this, he has never let it slow him down, taking up the sport in 2014.

Connell has since represented Australia at the games twice.

“It was fantastic, it was good to go down there and good to end on a good note,” he said.

The Invictus Games is a multi-sport event, created by Prince Harry for wounded, injured or sick armed services personnel and veterans.

Connell competed in the games in 2014, and was chosen to compete in 2016, but gave up his spot to give another competitor the chance to go.

“I did the training for the Toronto games in 2016, but I pulled out to let someone else have a game,” he said.

“Ten people had to go home and I was talking to some wives and they were anxious for their loved ones to go, so I went back to camp and volunteered to leave.”

Connell and his teammates started training for this year’s games in February.

“We played every state team before the games and won every one so that put us in good stead for the Invictus,” he said. “We were undefeated, which is magic.”

The only team to come close to defeating the Aussies was England in a deciding match which came down to the wire.

“In the pool game when we played them, it came down to golden point,” he said.

“We played England again for the gold medal and that was a cracker of a match too.”

While he may have retired from the games, he will still be keeping active, helping out and training at the Innisfail PCYC, where he spends five to six days a week.

He also plays wheelchair basketball in Cairns.