Finding his way back: how sport helped veteran Josh Madden reclaim connection and purpose 

As the Invictus Germany Sports Festival 2026 unfolds, one Australian competitor stands quietly amongst the 20‑strong national team – steady, humble, and deeply aware of the significance of simply being here.  

For 42‑year‑old former Army medic Josh Madden, representing Australia is more than a sporting milestone. It is a marker of survival, recovery, and the rediscovery of connection after years of battling the invisible wounds of service. 

Josh served 11 years in the Australian Army, deploying to East Timor and Afghanistan.  

It was a role that shaped him, stretched him, and ultimately left lasting scars.  

After he discharged from the Army, Josh moved to Mildura with his wife Lauren, their two children Isla and Dexter and two dogs, including service dog Perran.  

And while life was quieter, it wasn’t always easier.  

Josh was first diagnosed with PTSD due to deployment to Afghanistan in 2012 and in 2019 things took a turn for the worse.  

“My PTSD symptoms started to get bad. Things like nightmares, I was hypervigilant all the time, I had a bad startle response, didn’t like being in crowds,” Josh said.  
“At the same time, which is something I’d never dealt with before, I was getting severe depression. I was really struggling,” he said.   

Combined with a lower back injury and other musculoskeletal injuries, Josh’s confidence and connection to the world around him slowly started to erode.  

The effects of his struggles were felt not only by Josh, but by the people closest to him. 

“PTSD and mental health in general, it doesn’t just affect the individual, it affects the whole family,” he said.  

Sport had always been part of his life, but after leaving the military, even that began to slip away. 

“When I’m unwell, exercise is one of the first things I stop doing, and then I find myself socially isolating,” Josh said.  

It’s a cycle familiar to many veterans. The loss of routine, team, and identity can be profound. 

A turning point for Josh was his introduction to the Adaptive Sports Program.  

“Connecting with the Adaptive Sports Program and meeting other veterans has already had such a positive impact on my recovery,” he said.  

“I’ve (also) been so fortunate that I’ve got such a supportive family, in particular, Lauren, who allows me to go away to hospital and focus on recovery so that I can come back and be a better husband and father,” he said.  

Invictus Australia has supported close to 30,000 veterans and their families, using sport and community engagement as powerful tools for rehabilitation. For many, including Josh, these programs are not just recreational – they are lifelines. They rebuild confidence, restore routine, and create the sense of belonging that so often disappears after service. 

The impact of this support is backed by compelling evidence. Research shows that sport reduces PTSD symptoms, stabilises mood, and provides structure and purpose with active veterans 40% more likely to overcome mental health challenges than sedentary veterans. Group‑based sport also creates social networks that protect against isolation, one of the most significant risk factors for declining mental health. 

Invictus Australia’s programs are designed around these proven benefits, ensuring that veterans like Josh can access the physical, psychological, and social support they need to recover. 

Giving his all on day one

On the opening day of competition in Düsseldorf, Team Australia took to indoor rowing, sitting volleyball and table tennis, with more sitting volleyball and spinning still to come tomorrow.

Across the day, the focus was not only on performance, but on effort, courage and the power of being back in a team environment. For Josh, that meant stepping onto the international stage and giving everything he had.

“I’m really proud to be here. Really proud to be part of this team. I’ve achieved way more than I had hoped for already,” Josh said.

“I gave my all and I’m very ecstatic that I achieved a PB in both events, so that’s all I could hope for, and that’s what I wanted.”

That achievement carried meaning beyond the result itself. For Josh, every effort in Germany is part of a much bigger recovery journey – one that has been shaped by family, teammates and the rediscovery of camaraderie through sport.

“Having my wife here means the world. She’s obviously been with me every step, throughout my military career, since I got out, and all through my illness and recovery – through the downs and outs,” he said.

Surrounded by fellow competitors who understand the road he has walked, Josh said the sense of team has been one of the most powerful parts of the experience.

“The team camaraderie is just amazing. It’s something that we miss from the military,” he said.

“As soon as we went to that first camp, we got that camaraderie again, and being able to have a team sport here, like sitting volleyball, it’s just incredible.”

Now working with Fire Rescue Victoria, Josh is intentional about making space for exercise in his week.  

“Being a member of the gym community has taken me out of my comfort zone but allows me to be connected and supported in my rehabilitation,” Josh said.  

Josh’s decision to apply for the Adaptive Sports Program came from a deeper need than simply staying active. After leaving the military, he missed the camaraderie, purpose, and shared identity that had once anchored him.  

Sport offered a pathway back to that sense of belonging.  

“(I applied) to be engaged with the veteran community and to feel that sense of team again. Also, to be able to try new sports and use them in my rehabilitation and recovery moving forward,” he said.  

Being in Germany, surrounded by teammates who understand the road he’s walked, Josh carries something else too – a renewed sense of purpose. 

His story stands as proof that when veterans are supported to reconnect through sport, they don’t just recover – they move forward.