Adaptive SportS program
This program uses the power of sport to support the recovery, rehabilitation and reintegration of servicemen and women through adaptive sports.
HOW DOES THE ASP SELECT AND CATEGORISE APPLICANTS?
WHAT IS THE ADAPTIVE SPORTS PROGRAM?
The Adaptive Sports Program (ASP) is delivered by the Australian Defence Force, in partnership with Invictus Australia. The program is for current and former serving veterans who are wounded, injured or ill – including supporting the Australian Invictus Games and Warrior Games teams. Invictus Australia is responsible for the former serving contingent.
At Invictus Australia, we know the healing power of sport for veterans and their families through events such as the Invictus Games can be transformative. Recent research by the Invictus Games Foundation shows the positive impact sport has on recovery, rehabilitation and reintegration into society following transition from service (Beyond The Finish Line, 2024).
Watch the video on the transformative power of adaptive sports.
CAN I GET INVOLVED IN ADAPTIVE SPORTS IN MY LOCAL COMMUNITY?
Beyond the bright lights of the ASP (Invictus Games and Warrior Games), we aim to continue connecting veterans and their families to sporting opportunities back in Australia. We have partnerships with a range of sporting organisations, as well as the Australian Sports Commission, which help us to provide access to many sports for veterans and their families. This includes adaptive formats, with opportunities for participation, volunteering and spectating at both a grassroots and international level.
If you’re looking for ways to connect in community through sport, visit our Local Engagement page and see which Invictus Australia employee is based in your local area.
Getting involved in your local community is what matters most
“Events like Warrior Games are an incredible experience, but it’s how you apply what you learnt back in your local communities that matters most to me. Seeing veterans go home and actually start to get out of the house again, maybe take up a sport, maybe get themselves back into work, this is what matters most to me and Veteran Sport Australia is doing an incredible job at providing pathways for veterans to do this – – to get involved in sport again in the local community”
Rodney ‘Rocket’ Cottam, Resilience Through Running
Veterans at the Heart of parkrun: Connection, Service and Community
2025 at Invictus Australia: A Year of Impact
Ever wondered how Team Australia stays active after international events like the Invictus Games?
While every journey looks different, many alumni continue to turn to sport as part of their recovery. That might mean getting involved as an athlete, giving back through coaching or officiating, or staying connected as a supporter.
The four alumni featured here show that staying active doesn’t follow a single path, but connection through sport remains a powerful constant.
Read more about their stories via the link in bio.
We’d love to hear from you. How do you connect through sport? Share your story in the comments below.
Congratulations to Team Veteran, established by Invictus Australia, who took on the Adelaide Epic Ride as part of the Santos @tourdownunder.
Thirteen Team Veteran riders, including Invictus Games alumni Colleen Swifte and Shaun Hillman, powered through challenging conditions to show what’s possible when veterans and families come together through sport. The riders were a mix of current and former serving veterans and family members from South Australia, Queensland and Victoria.
The effort on the road, and the watch party waiting at the finish line, showed a powerful display of community, determination and shared purpose. We’re proud of every rider who took part.
Special thanks to @weareinvictusgames for funding this opportunity for those part of the wounded, injured or ill veteran community.
We are calling it, pickleball is the sport of the summer.
Over the past couple of months, we have seen pickleball bring members of the defence community together on courts around the country.
Why do people love it?
Because it’s easy to learn, welcoming to all ages and abilities, and just as much about connection as it is competition. Pickleball creates space to move build confidence and reconnect.
It’s inclusive, social and genuinely fun, and when you see the way it brings people of all abilities together, it is clear to see why it will be included at the Invictus Games @birmingham_2027.
Find out how to get involved by joining your local Facebook group (in bi0)