A new grant has been made available to the Invictus Games Foundation to further continue research into the impact of participation in sport for recovery. Thanks to the Forces in Mind Trust the funding will cover the cost of an additional year within the research project due to the rescheduling of the Invictus Games The Hague 2020.

The Beyond the Finish Line study is being led by Dr Celina Shirazipour and looks at the impact of participating in sport for recovery on both competitors and non-competitors across two Invictus Games – Sydney 2018 and the now rescheduled Games in The Hague. The independent study provides much needed insight into the recovery journey of Service personnel or veterans who have been wounded, injured or fallen sick (WIS) during, or as a consequence of service.

Ray Lock, Chief Executive at Forces in Mind Trust says: “We are committed to supporting our grantees and the important work they do throughout and beyond COVID-19. By investing additional funds in this project, we are ensuring that the study meets its original objectives while taking into account any impact of the lockdown on the competitors and their wellbeing.”

The new grant of £43,180 builds on the funding previously granted by FiMT in 2018 of £183,500 for the project Beyond the Finish Line: Examining the Invictus Games.

Jenni Anderson, Development Director at the Invictus Games Foundation says: “We are delighted to have been awarded an extension from the Forces in Mind Trust to continue the study during these challenging times. We are regularly moved by the uplifting stories from members of the Invictus Family who use sport to overcome adversity through training and competing at a Games. We are very grateful that we can continue to build a strong body of evidence about the impact of sport on the WIS community to be shared with the programmes and initiatives that support them. Thank you to FiMT and the National Lottery Community Fund for this additional grant.”

The latest FiMT COVID-19 response can be found here.

This research is a continuation of the project begun by Dr Celina Shirazipour following the Invictus Games Toronto 2017.

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