Kurt Ludke

Invictus Games Dusseldorf 2023 Competitor

ADF service: I joined the Royal Australian Army in 1998 as an Infantryman. I deployed to East Timor, Afghanistan three times, and Iraq. I also participated in multiple training courses within the pacific region and the United Arab Emirates. I discharged in 2018.
 
Age: 42
 
Home town: Merredin, Western Australia
 
Current town: Sydney, New South Wales
 
Competing in: Powerlifting, sitting volleyball and wheelchair rugby.
 
What is the nature of your injury or illness?
I have Post Traumatic Stress, depression and psychological injuries, multiple skeletal and physical issues and deteriorating vision due to an extremely rare genetic disorder called Pseudo Xanthoma Elasticum (PXE).
 
What role has sport played in your rehabilitation? Sport and training keep me from deteriorating both physically and more importantly mentally. The calmness and sense of achievement during and post physical activity is a balm for my mind. Sport connects me to the two decades I spent in service, in the form of teams, mateship and shared experience.
 
Sport background: I was a competitive football player (AFL and rugby) and enjoy any sports that are team related.  I was never a solo athlete outside of boxing and martial arts; however, both those sports were community and team orientated.
 
What is your greatest achievement to date? Surviving and being the best I can be for my family and recently completing my Masters in Business Administration at the University of New South Wales.   
 
Why did you apply for the Invictus Games? Close friend and former Australian Team Peter Rudland inspired me to do so. Seeing the 'give back' he has been able to return into the military community is something I hope to do as well.
 
What will success look like for you at the Games? Lifting those around me to break through their own boundaries and limitations and ensuring a true team with cohesiveness and morale through the Games.
 
What does unconquered mean to you? It means not succumbing to the darkness, to not be defined by my injuries and illnesses and to rise above challenges not experienced by the bulk of the population. To enjoy each day as it completes its cycle and to support my fellow competitors around me.