The Contribution of Sport in the Rehabilitation Process of Disabled Military Veterans: A Case Study of the 2016 Invictus Games

Abstract

A growing body of research highlights the positive impacts of sport and physical activity upon the physical and mental well-being of traumatically injured military personnel. This study, conducted at the 2016 Invictus Games in Orlando, Florida, sought to understand the role of sport in the rehabilitation process of military personnel who have undergone traumatic injury or have experienced chronic illness. Data were derived from in-depth focus groups, semi-structured interviews, and open-ended questions with competitors, team managers, and family members. Findings indicated that the use of sport and physical activity has been an effective rehabilitation tool for those who competed. Tactics such as goal setting and team mentality, often critical components of both sport and military training, are helpful in allowing these competitors to reconnect with their military identity, without the negative implications of self-comparison.

Keywords:

• Military
• traumatic injury
• sport-based rehabilitation
• friends and family
• relationships

Acknowledgment

The authors would like to acknowledge the assistance of the Invictus Games Foundation in providing access to the competitors, family and friends and spectators at the 2016 Invictus Games in Orlando, Florida, which made this research possible.

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest has to be reported.

Additional information

Funding

This research was also supported by a Marie Curie International Research Staff Exchange Scheme Fellowship within the 7th European Community Framework Programme.

Notes on contributors

Ian Brittain

Ian Brittain (Ph.D.) is an Associate Professor in the Centre for Business in Society at Coventry Business School. He is an internationally recognized expert in the study of disability and Paralympic sport and has attended five summer Paralympic Games in Sydney, Athens, Beijing, London and Rio. He is an experienced researcher and is widely published in a variety of books/book chapters and journals. Dr. Brittain is an active reviewer for a number of journals, book publishers and funding bodies including the Economic and Social Research Council and the International Olympic Committee.

Kyle Bunds

Kyle S. Bunds (Ph.D.) is an Associate Professor in the Department of Parks, Recreation, & Tourism Management at NC State University. Dr. Bunds’ primary research interests center on the need for long-term sustainable solutions to environmental crises, an interest in the political, economic, social, and communicative processes of capital development, and a desire to understand how sport can be a vehicle/impediment in responding to these concerns.

Jason Bocarro

Jason N. Bocarro (Ph.D.) is an Alumni Distinguished Undergraduate Professor and University Faculty Scholar in the Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism Management at NC State University. Dr. Bocarro’s research focuses on the intersection of people’s health and inactivity, specifically examining the relationship between the built environment and public spaces and human health. His research has been funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), the Centers for Disease Control, National Park Service, European Union (EU), National Recreation and Park Association, Aspen Institute, and sport governing bodies such as USA Hockey. His research has been featured in Time Magazine, the Guardian, National Public Radio, and USA Today.