Flight Sergeant Nathan King

Invictus Games Dusseldorf 2023 Competitor

ADF service: I joined the Royal Australian Air Force in 1996. I have spent the majority of my career supporting the C-130 Hercules Aircraft and deployed to the Middle East Region in 2004 and 2006.

Current occupation: Aircraft Technician

Home town: Penrith, New South Wales

Current town: Penrith, New South Wales

Competing in: Athletics, sitting volleyball and swimming

What is the nature of your injury or illness? Following complications from a damaged thigh playing soccer, I suffered compartment syndrome in my left thigh resulting in skeletal muscle breakdown. I was in intensive care for six weeks. I lost two muscles in my left quad which required extensive operations and skin grafts. I have restricted movement in my left leg.

What role has sport played in your rehabilitation? It has helped to re-focus my training to assist my rehabilitation. I have met a whole bunch of inspirational people I wouldn’t have otherwise had the opportunity to meet.

Sport background: I have played soccer my whole life. I represented Air Force and Australian Defence Force teams, but I like having a go at all sports.

What is your greatest achievement to date? I’m proud of my family. They are tough, resilient and kind.

Why did you apply for the Invictus Games? I competed in Invictus Games The Hague 2020. The experience and the exposure was great. I want to compete in Dusseldorf to mentor the new competitors, push myself further, inspire my community and demonstrate what I can do by ‘overcoming adversity’.

What will success look like for you at the Games? Just to get there and experience it again is going to be great. But the benchmarks have been set from The Hague, so I need to at least beat those. I am adding the 100m run to my program, so to cross that line will be my gold.

What does unconquered mean to you? Overcoming adversity, don’t let it beat you, get on with your life and strive to always lead from the front.