How the Invictus Australia community kept connected this Veterans’ Health Week
From October 13th to 20th, 2024, Veterans’ Health Week (VHW) was observed throughout Australia. The theme this year was ‘Keep Connected,’ with the aim to “promote good health and wellbeing in the everyday lives of veterans and families,” while “shining a spotlight on the importance of social connectedness.” (Department of Veterans Affairs, 2024).
To mark this Department of Veterans’ Affairs initiative, Invictus Australia’s local engagement team facilitated/co-hosted 113 local sporting events across Australia, with hundreds of veterans and family getting active and connected in their local communities.
As strong believers in the power of sport to support the defence community, the sporting events organised by Invictus Australia were designed to bring communities together, promoting positive mental wellbeing and social connection. These events not only fostered a sense of community, but they also shone a spotlight on the transformative power of sport for veterans and families, allowing them to build confidence, improve their physical health and cultivate connections that combat social isolation. Initiatives like this are instrumental in addressing the systemic issues highlighted in the recent Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide, emphasising the importance of connection, support networks and active participation in community life, as key components in enhancing overall well-being for our veterans.
These events wouldn’t have been possible to run without the support of the Department of Veterans’ Affairs, who provided grants for many of these activities. A big thank you also, to our seven frontline staff who partnered with our national sporting organisations to bring all of the events across VHW and the month of October to life. Here’s a small snapshot of some of the impactful events that Invictus Australia ran across the country;
Defence Community Sport Expo heads to NSW
What better way to mark Veteran’s Health Week than in Stockton NSW, at our Defence Community Sport Expo on the 19th of October? With sport being such an important way to get communities together, we were thrilled to see the many smiles, a sense of camaraderie from all and several moments of connection among the more than 150 veterans and family members who attended this event.
Led by Invictus Australia Veteran Engagement Manager Jye Martyn, this event exemplifies our commitment to establishing sporting systems that benefit local defence communities and foster collaboration between these sporting systems, ex-service organisations and these local veterans and families.
Most importantly, events like these give local defence communities a first-hand look at the power of sport in assisting with recovery, reintegration and rehabilitation. The community were able to access information about services that can; support their transition out of the military, help them to build camaraderie within a civilian setting; enhance their wellbeing and provide an opportunity for families to develop strong support networks, through meeting other defence families who are experiencing similar challenges. As Raelene Darwin, Stockton local defence family member suggests, it is days like the expo that provide the much-needed encouragement for veterans and their families to gain the confidence to reintegrate into civilian life and gain the benefits that sport has to offer.
Get involved. Until you do, you don’t understand how much of a positive benefit sport can have on your life.
From Dragon boating to AFL to bowls, this family-centric event was made possible thanks to the many organisations that were present. A big thank you to the following organisations: IPAR, NEC, Optus, Port Stephens Dragon Boat Club, Talk2mebro, national service financial, DMFS, Legacy, RSL Lifecare, Open Arms, Veteran Gaming Aus, Port Stephens AFL, Walking Football NSW, Newcastle Basketball, Disaster Relief Aus, Stockton Surf Life Saving, Stockton Bowling Club and Stockton Tennis Club.
Team Veteran heads to NT and TAS
During Veterans’ Health Week, the country saw seas of yellow and black at parkrun events across the country, as veterans and families donned their Team Veteran t-shirts and connected with their local communities.
For the first time, Invictus Australia was welcomed into Northern Territory and Tasmanian communities, where representatives attended five parkruns across these areas to connect with veterans and families in their local areas, and hand out free Team Veteran shirts to those who joined the Team Veteran parkrun club.
In Burnie, Invictus Games 2025 Team Australia competitor Jo Lovell was there to represent Team Veteran, with Department of Veterans’ Affairs staff present in other TAS locations and our partner Ventia volunteering at the NT parkruns to show their support for this inclusive parkrun group. Special thanks to these individuals for their support.
Want to be a part of this group? You can sign up to Team Veteran on parkrun at any time here, and purchase your very own Team Veteran t-shirt here.
Veterans and families give gaming a go
A new addition to our Veteran’s Health Week offerings, this year, each of our Veteran Engagement Managers facilitated gaming and esports opportunities in their local area, with the help of our sporting partner Veteran Gaming Australia.
For many in the defence community, gaming provides an inclusive, welcoming space to connect with other veterans and family members, as well as their wider community.
Our family had a great time, and the kids did not want to go home. Thank you for continuing to bring these events to Toowoomba
Keeping connected through sport
In keeping with this year’s theme, all sporting events facilitated placed an emphasis on connection and how these connections can continue post Veterans’ Health Week. Whether it be through a post-event coffee catch up, mid run chat or registration to a local sporting club, we were inspired by how the defence community formed relationships and displayed camaraderie with other veterans and families, as well as the wider community.
Our Veteran Engagement team runs events such as these across the country each day. To keep up to date with what is happening in your area, join your local Facebook group.
- ACT Local Facebook group
- SA Local Facebook group
- Sth East QLD Facebook group
- Nth QLD Facebook group
- Nth NSW Local Facebook group
- NSW Sth Coast Local Facebook group
- Victoria Facebook group
- WA Facebook group
- TAS Facebook group
About Invictus Australia: Invictus Australia encourages veterans and their families to connect and engage with their communities through sport. Whether participating or volunteering at grassroots level, to competing internationally at an Invictus or Warrior Games, Invictus Australia leverages the power of sport to proactively foster good health and aid in recovery, rehabilitation and reintegration. Invictus Australia promotes the physical, social and emotional benefits of sport for all, and shine a light on the unique needs of younger veterans, particularly the challenges associated with transitioning from military to civilian life.
