vanessa sutton

Invictus Germany Sports Festival 2026

ADF Service:  
I joined the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) in April 2001 as Security Police (RAAF Police), where I specialised in counterintelligence and security intelligence. 
I discharged from full-time service in 2010, rejoined the Active Reserves in 2012, and then discharged from the Active Reserves in 2017. 
I was deployed on Operation Catalyst in the Middle East Area of Operations (MEAO) in 2005, and also on Operation Ramp in 2006, which involved the evacuation of Australians from Lebanon. 
During my career in the Air Force, I had the opportunity to work with some incredible people who inspired me to pursue further education. Following my deployment to the Middle East and encouraged by the security police officer from my deployment, I undertook and completed a Graduate Certificate in Strategic Intelligence, which sparked a strong passion for lifelong learning. 
I also had the opportunity to train with the army early in my career and was one of the first Air Force personnel to complete the Intelligence Corps Initial Employment Training course and transfer these skills back into the RAAF context. 
Other information:  
I am currently a PhD student researching how lived experience can impact injury prevention in tactical populations (e.g., police), as well as working with the amazing team at Andrew Russell Veteran Living on research focused on homelessness and related issues among veterans. 
During my time in the Air Force, I was fortunate to attend the School of Languages, where I learned Indonesian for a year and had the opportunity to study at Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia in Bandung. 
I now enjoy going to the gym, where I probably do far too much talking, but I get to meet some incredible people, including some amazing young people who have since gone on to join the army and are doing great things! 
I am also a mad dog person, with two incredible dogs: an ex-racing greyhound named Panda, and a wolfhound cross named Billy. 

Age: 45 

Hometown: Perth, WA 

Current Town: Perth, WA 

What is the Nature of your injury or illness?  
I experienced both physical and mental health injuries during my time in service. 
I injured my back during police basic training, and over the course of my career, it worsened without me fully understanding the extent of the damage until after I left full-time service. I later found out I required surgery, including a lumbar fusion and discectomy, and I continue to manage ongoing issues with one of my sacroiliac joints. Through exercise and working closely with my exercise physiologist, I am doing my best to avoid further surgery (and have managed to throw away the walking stick as a full-time need!) 
I also had the unique experience of contracting whooping cough during recruit training while still having to complete tear gas exposure, which has contributed to ongoing health issues. 
Like many others, I have experienced mental health challenges associated with service, including depression, anxiety, and PTSD. With the support of my treating team, particularly my current psychologist, and ongoing treatment over time, I have reached a turning point in the past year. It remains an ongoing challenge, but I am learning to manage it, to rebuild my life in a way that is stronger for what lies ahead. 

Sporting background:  
I wasn’t a big sports person growing up, preferring instead to focus on dance and performance. It wasn’t until high school that I became involved in basketball and cricket, where I also discovered the gym and weight training. 
That’s something that stayed with me throughout my Air Force career, where I developed an interest in bodybuilding and figure competition. Unfortunately, my back had other plans when it comes to competing, but it’s still something I’m passionate about and continue to engage in as much as possible. 

When did you first connect with the Invictus Movement?  
I first heard about the Invictus Movement a number of years ago, but I was hesitant to step forward and get involved. I hadn’t grown up heavily involved in sport, particularly team sports, and always struggled with coordination and feeling like I belonged, which made it quite intimidating (including in sports during service). 
During my time in the Air Force, I focused more on the gym, where I felt more comfortable working on my own and building strength without feeling like an outsider. Combined with my injuries, ongoing pain, and a sense of distance from the Defence and veteran community for a long time, I didn’t feel Invictus was the right environment for me. 
COVID further reinforced that distance, as it became an easy way to withdraw from people and avoid engaging altogether. 
It wasn’t until coming out of COVID, and beginning my Master’s research, where I was required to engage with others again, that my perspective started to shift. Working with police recruits and focusing on injury prevention made me reflect on my own experiences and consider what I might still be capable of. 
From there, I decided to give Invictus a go, almost as a way of redefining where I am now, with the benefit of experience and perspective (read: being older!). Even with the limited exposure I’ve had so far within Invictus, it has already been an incredibly rewarding and worthwhile experience. I couldn’t be a bigger supporter of others (who have had a tough time during their military career) to consider giving Invictus a go! 

What role has sport played in your rehabilitation? 
I have used the gym for my physical and mental wellbeing since the beginning of my RAAF career. For a long time, it was a consistent part of how I maintained both my health and my sense of self, primarily through lifting weights. 
There were also periods where I stepped away from training. I avoided the gym because I was worried about making my pain worse and became very self-conscious, particularly after gaining significant weight following my service. That, combined with needing to use a walking stick and having people question what was wrong with me, really impacted my self-esteem and led me to withdraw further. 
Finding the right exercise physiologist was a turning point. She is an ex-Olympic level cyclist and has a deep understanding of what it means to train, perform, and commit fully to something, as well as how challenging it can be when that changes. For me, stepping away from the gym and weight training changed how I saw myself and my sense of identity. 
With her support, I was able to gradually rebuild my physical capacity, and with that came improvements in my mental health. As my confidence returned, I also became more comfortable engaging with others again. This led to meaningful connections at my local gym, including mentoring young people considering joining the Defence Force, and even attending a graduation at Kapooka for one of them. 
For me, sport has played a critical role across physical, mental, and social recovery, helping me rebuild not just my strength, but my confidence and sense of identity. 

What is your greatest achievement to date?  
This is a really tough one. I’ve had a number of milestones in my life, and it’s hard to pick a single greatest achievement, as it can depend on the day. Some days, my greatest achievement is simply getting out of bed. Other days, it’s winning over the love and affection of my dogs. 
In a more objective sense, my greatest achievement would be completing my master's degree, including my thesis, which has led me to start my PhD. 
That said, I don’t think I would have reached that point without all the smaller milestones along the way and the people who have supported me at different stages of my life. 

Why did you apply for the Adaptive Sports Program? 
I applied to the Adaptive Sports Program because the timing felt right. The improvements in my self-esteem and physical capability have reached a point where I feel confident enough to take that step. 
I also wanted to challenge myself and do something more. I’m a strong believer in the benefits of sport and movement, whether that’s going to the gym or finding other ways to stay active, as it helps you feel better, think better, and ultimately be better. 

How did you feel when you were told you would make the team? 
I was honestly pretty elated.  
It felt like I had already achieved something just by applying, making it to the camp, and getting through it, not just surviving it, but actually enjoying it and doing something for myself. 
So, to get the notification that I had made the team, and that I get to go on this amazing adventure during the first year of my PhD, which is already a huge undertaking, was really special. 

What will ‘winning’ look like for you at this event? 
As a competitive person, of course winning, in the traditional sense, is something that comes to mind, like making finals or walking away with a medal. 
But for me, winning has already started. It’s in the commitment I make every day to training, for myself, for my self-esteem, and for my self-respect. It’s knowing that when I step onto the rower, the bike, or whatever I’m doing in Germany, I am giving it everything I have. 
It’s also about no longer being the version of myself that wanted to hide, go unnoticed, and just get by. For me, winning is stepping forward, putting myself out there, and standing alongside others who are overcoming their own challenges, all of us doing our best and giving it everything we have. 
That, to me, is what winning at Invictus Germany will be.