Invictus Games has Canadian athletes 'pumped'

Military veterans who've been injured in the line of the duty have, since 2014, been coming together from around the world for an athletic competition called the Invictus Games.

The 2016 games are coming up in Orlando, Fla., and, after that, will land in Toronto, founder Prince Harry announced yesterday.

The Invictus Games are an opportunity for veterans to bond and continue the healing process from their injuries, says Bruno Guevremont, who will lead Team Canada to the Orlando games in May.

Guevremont spent 15 years in the Canadian Forces and was diagnosed with PTSD in 2010, after returning from a tour in Afghanistan.

He's seen and shared the healing power of exercise and athletic competition.

• Prince Harry announces Toronto will host 2017InvictusGames

Guevremont was part of an anti-explosives team in Afghanistan; a busy outfit that dealt with more than 100 IEDs. They had many close calls, he says, and coming home was difficult. After struggling with anger, anxiety, depression and panic attacks, he was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

One thing that helped? Rigorous physical exercise. He got into rowing and now runs his own fitness studio in Victoria. Many of his clients have military backgrounds. He also sees many first-responders, including police officers, and others who've survived traumatic events.

"I saw immediate results, by releasing endorphins, feeling good, accomplishing a task at a time when you think that you're broken," he said on Metro Morning Thursday. "So I just continued down that road and I realized that I was healing at that time.Now people are seeking me out."

Canadian athletes 'pumped' forInvictusGames

"The athletes are extremely pumped to go to Orlando and represent Canada again," he said.

Guevremontsaid old perceptions about PTSD are changing. It's now less common to viewthose who suffer from the disorder as weak or broken.

"It's coming to the forefront because of events like the InvictisGames," he said. "Prince Harry did a wonderful thing for the military men and women."

Harry founded the games after a 2013 visit to the U.S.-basedWarrior Games, a domestic sporting competition for ill and injuredAmerican service members and veterans. Looking to establish anexpanded version of those games, Harry set up the Invictus Games,named after the Latin word for unconquered.

The games were first held in London in 2014 and involved morethan 400 competitors from 13 countries.

The Toronto games, set for September 2017, will feature morecompetitors and more sports than the event has had before, Harrysaid.

Harry will be heading to Toronto in May to officially launch thecity's games before travelling to Orlando, Fla., where this year'sInvictus Games will be held.