Prince Harry has left
competitors for the upcoming Invictus Games nearly in tears after he
surprised them with a video call from his home in California.
The room erupted into laughter
when the Duke of Sussex teased competitors over the time they’ve had to prepare
for the Games, which were last held in 2019. “You realize that no-one, not
just you guys, no-one’s got any excuses for not being fit now,” he teased.
The event took place at a final training camp for those involved before the
Games take place in the Netherlands in April.
Harry also prompted laughter
as he spoke to his former royal army physical training corps instructor Vic
Wales. “Is my PTI from Sandhurst in here somewhere?” he asked.
When he spotted her, he
jested: “I can’t believe after, how many years, 15 years, our paths are
about to cross again. You used to shout at me so much.”
Vic then shot back that the
royal “needed it” to which he jokingly agreed with her.
Vic will be taking part in
five events during the Invictus Games: rowing, cycling, archery, powerlifting
and athletics. She was medically discharged from the British Army 11 years ago after she broke her back during a training exercise.
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The Duke surprised athletes with a video call
In a small team talk, Harry
added: “For a lot of you, you’ve already, as far as I’m concerned, you’ve
already won gold by just getting to this point.
“The fact that you are
sitting there now wearing that strip and you are able to wear the Union Jack on
your arm again, means so much to every single one of you.”
The athletes were surprised by
the call from the Duke, with vice-captain Kelly Leonard saying: “I was
nearly in tears when he gave us a team talk. It was really arousing.
“The message was about
what Invictus is about, that resilience and that journey. It was really
wonderful to see him.”
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His comments prompted laughter
Harry founded the Invictus
Games in 2014, an international adaptive multi-sport event in which wounded,
injured or sick armed services personnel and veterans participate. It
celebrates the power of sport in recovery and how it can help, physically or
psychologically, those suffering from injuries or illness.
