Unconquerable: The Invictus Spirit

Unconquerable: The Invictus Spirit
Boris Starling

‘You are all Invictus, you are now ambassadors for the spirit of these games. Never stop fighting and do all you can to lift up everyone around you…’The Invictus Games change lives and save lives.Created and spearheaded by Prince Harry, for whom this is a very personal cause, the Games are for current and former servicemen and women who have been wounded, injured or sick.Most races are about who gets to the finish line first. At the Invictus Games, even making the start line is an achievement beyond measure. Triple amputees, cancer survivors, multiple sclerosis patients, PTSD sufferers and many more all compete. They have been through the darkest of times, but in the camaraderie of competition they find hope anew.Unconquerable: The Invictus Spirit represents the spirit of the Games, upholding a message of self-determination, positivity and sacrifice. These stories of the Invictus athletes will inspire you, give you the courage and determination to succeed, and act as a ‘bedside Samaritan’ for anyone to turn to in their hour of need.These are the people who make the Invictus Games what they are. These are their stories. They come from all over the world. They are ordinary people who have done, and continue to do, extraordinary things. They are the power of the human spirit. They are Invictus. They are Unconquerable.

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COPYRIGHT (#u2982aad6-f854-5e61-b9f6-470b5cf987f4)

HarperCollinsPublishers

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First published by HarperCollinsPublishers 2017

FIRST EDITION

© Boris Starling 2017

Cover layout design by Claire Ward © HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd 2017

Cover photograph © Daily Mail 2014 (main image), © Shutterstock (wheelchair figure)

Plate-section photographs courtesy of the competitors, except where indicated

Boris Starling asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work

While every effort has been made to trace the owners of copyright material reproduced herein and secure permissions, the publishers would like to apologise for any omissions and will be pleased to incorporate missing acknowledgements in any future edition of this book.

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Source ISBN: 9780008240080

Ebook Edition © September 2017 ISBN: 9780008240103

Version: 2017-08-07

DEDICATION (#u2982aad6-f854-5e61-b9f6-470b5cf987f4)

For those who competed in London and Orlando, for those who are competing in Toronto, and for those who will compete in Sydney and beyond. You are an inspiration, each and every one of you. You are unconquered.

CONTENTS

Cover (#u004f5434-e5f5-5bd7-9014-b2b2117f89a5)

Title Page (#ua1442b7c-eaf4-5d72-b742-af6650fba662)

Copyright (#u28e88bed-c0f3-5e39-b5bb-0547b33fd71c)

Dedication (#u6af71a11-ef90-5046-a273-496334b84cbf)

About the Invictus Games (#u76df4854-8814-5854-a15b-4c8584e33c17)

Foreword by Prince Harry (#ufd1ec05e-852b-556b-b1d7-520b24b618ef)

Introduction (#udd252579-ca7b-5e8c-8d70-19a5936173cd)

Acknowledgements (#u51a3f98a-1d93-5f12-8817-70e02429be8e)

Invictus (#u7c956861-39a5-5603-b444-94cd1e8d1da0)

Prologue: The Night Which Covers Me (#u9d875ff9-d3a8-50bf-b1bf-65b79c5dc57e)

1 Find Me Unafraid (#uc794ee23-6055-5629-ab83-85324e7dd755)

2 This Place of Wrath and Tears (#u4630a65a-7505-5a6d-ae49-c6e8746a8c4e)

3 Bloody but Unbowed (#litres_trial_promo)

4 How Charged with Punishments the Scroll (#litres_trial_promo)

5 The Fell Clutch of Circumstance (#litres_trial_promo)

6 Not Winced Nor Cried Aloud (#litres_trial_promo)

7 My Unconquerable Soul (#litres_trial_promo)

8 The Master of My Fate (#litres_trial_promo)

Epilogue: The Captain of My Soul (#litres_trial_promo)

Picture Section (#litres_trial_promo)

About the Publisher (#litres_trial_promo)

ABOUT THE INVICTUS GAMES (#u2982aad6-f854-5e61-b9f6-470b5cf987f4)

The Invictus Games are an international multisport event for WIS (wounded, injured and sick) Armed Services personnel and veterans. The Games use the power of sport to inspire recovery, support rehabilitation and increase awareness of the sacrifices made by those who serve.

The first Invictus Games took place in London on 10–14 September 2014. Thirteen nations were represented and 413 competitors took part: Afghanistan, Australia, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, France, Georgia, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States. Competitions took place across nine adaptive sports: archery, athletics, indoor rowing, powerlifting, road cycling, sitting volleyball, swimming, wheelchair basketball and wheelchair rugby. The Presenting Partner, Jaguar Land Rover, also offered a driving challenge.