The Invictus Spirit — It’s Real, and It’s Up to Us to Unlock It

A reflection on the Invictus Spirit Awards 2026 written by Doug Griffiths, Invictus Games Alumnus and Spirit Awards Nominee.

Standing beneath the colonnade of the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich, London, with my wife beside me, waiting for the arrival of the Duke of Sussex, I found myself asking: How did I end up here?

Surrounded by centuries of naval history, the setting felt familiar to someone who had spent 36 years in a Naval uniform. Yet the journey that had brought me to that moment was one I could never have imagined when I first joined the Navy as a young sailor.

There had been a career I was immensely proud of, comprising operational service, leadership, friendships forged in difficult places, and the privilege of serving alongside extraordinary people. Then came a chapter I never expected: cancer, chemotherapy, recovery, uncertainty, and the challenge of rebuilding a life and identity when the foundations I had always relied upon were shaken.

And then came Invictus.

Sport became my pathway forward. Years after joining the Navy, I found myself standing in Greenwich as a nominee for the Invictus Spirit Award, alongside awe-inspiring finalists, each with their own remarkable story. It was a surreal moment.

Doug Griffiths (OAM)
Invictus Games Alumnus and Spirit Awards nominee

The nomination recognised my fundraising efforts for Invictus Australia — including the IRONMAN World Championship in Hawaii and the UTMB Kosciuszko 100 — as well as advocacy, community engagement, and volunteer work with veterans, corporate partners, and grassroots sport. By sharing my recovery journey, I’ve hoped to inspire others to embrace adaptive sport and the Invictus programme, strengthening awareness, participation, and community connection across the veteran network.

But standing there, I realised something important: this wasn’t really about me.

It was about the people who stood beside me. It was much broader than that. It was about my family, who walked every step of this journey, living through the uncertainty, fatigue, and setbacks. They supported me when stopping would have been easier and encouraged me to keep moving forward. It was about my teammates, who reminded me that injuries and illnesses do not define us, and who stood beside me with the simple but powerful words: “Keep going. I’m with you.” And the team from Invictus Australia who provided the platform to make it all happen.

Invictus gave me structure, goals, and purpose. It taught me that progress isn’t always measured in medals or finish times, but in the courage to turn up on a difficult day. It reminded me that recovery is never a solo journey.

The greatest lesson is that the Invictus Spirit isn’t mine alone. It belongs to every wounded, injured, and sick veteran. It is there in the hesitant first step back into sport, in the quiet

check-in from a teammate, in the family trying to understand, and in the veteran who decides to have another go.

Rehabilitation is not just about fixing what is broken. It is about rebuilding confidence, restoring routine, creating purpose, and reconnecting people with their identity. The Games provide extraordinary moments, but the real measure is how it impacts life beyond the games, and whether veterans rediscover belief in themselves, reconnect with family, and find hope again. Sometimes, that connection even saves lives.

So, what did the Spirit Award nomination mean to me? It meant more than I can explain. I was humbled, grateful, and proud. But I don’t see it as recognition of something I achieved alone. It belongs to my family. It belongs to my teammates. It belongs to Invictus Australia, and the passion of its staff, volunteers, and supporters. And it belongs to every veteran who gets up each day and decides to have another go.

In the time I have been a medically separated veteran, after a career in uniform, I’ve learned that while the uniform may come off, the calling to serve others does not. We find new ways to serve, it can take many forms, we may find it through mentoring, coaching, sharing our stories, or simply being there. It is hard to just leave a career dedicated to service; it becomes your “why”.

My journey is still ongoing. There are difficult days and uncertainty about the future. But there is also purpose, progress, community and hope.

The Invictus Spirit is not about being unconquerable because nothing can hurt us. It is about refusing to let what has happened to us determine what we can become.

As the awards progressed inside the hallowed walls of the Painted Hall in Greenwich, watching the awards unfold, I realised that perhaps the greatest privilege is living. All the nominees showed this in their deeds and achievements. They were the epitome of the Invictus Spirit. I believe I have unlocked this Spirit in myself due to the support of the Invictus movement, my own family, and my Invictus veteran family. This has allowed me to live more fully in a life impacted by illness away from the familiarity of life in service. This has enabled me to find my “why” again and continue to serve others. No longer in uniform, but in a different way.

The Invictus Spirit is alive and present. How it manifests may be different for everyone, but our job should be to unlock it in every veteran.

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