As the Invictus Games Vancouver-Whistler 2025 inch closer, the Games' organizing committee reached a major milestone two years ahead of opening ceremonies.
Vancouver-based mining company Teck Resources Limited has signed on as the Games' first commercial sponsor, committing $1.5 million to the event, the corporation announced earlier this week.
“As our first major commercial sponsor, Teck’s contribution will help ensure these Games will be the most innovative and accessible Games to date,” Peter Lawless, Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025 CEO, said in a release. “We are incredibly grateful to Teck for this significant investment in supporting the recovery journey of so many in the global military community.”
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, announced in April 2022 that Vancouver and Whistler had won the bid to jointly host the 2025 Games. The Invictus Games were founded by the Duke of Sussex and first held in 2014, offering wounded, injured and sick servicemembers and veterans the opportunity to represent their countries in an international sporting competition. The 2025 edition is expected to draw more than 500 athletes from 20 countries to participate in the inaugural hybrid summer-winter Invictus Games. The event will feature adaptive winter sports like alpine skiing, Nordic skiing, skeleton and wheelchair curling for the first time, in addition to adaptive sports like indoor rowing, sitting volleyball, swimming, wheelchair rugby, and wheelchair basketball that have traditionally made up the Games' events roster.
Longtime Whistler Adaptive Sports Program executive director Chelsey Walker announced last October she had stepped down from the local organization in order to accept the position of director of Whistler operations for the 2025 Invictus Games.
Teck’s seven-figure contribution will specifically help fund both the operating budget for the Games and the development of legacy programs that will endure after the event has wrapped up in B.C.
“Invictus Games 2025 provides an opportunity for competitors to showcase their strength and resilience, and demonstrates the power of sport to aid in recovery,” explained Teck CEO Jonathan Price in the release. He said the company is “proud to support these Games, which foster inclusivity, contribute to reconciliation, and build community. It’s about making sure everyone has the opportunity to thrive.”
True Patriot Love is a national foundation working to support Canada's military community, veterans and their families, and serves as the main funder of Team Canada's Invictus Games appearances. True Patriot Love Foundation CEO Nick Booth said Teck's contribution to an Invictus Games legacy program in particular "will ensure that long after the Games are finished, the impacts will continue to support Veterans in British Columbia, Canada and internationally."
Teck's investment "will be used to fund programs that bring adaptive sports opportunities to communities across the country and that connect Canadians to the impact our military has on their lives," he added.
The 2025 Invictus Games have also received support from both the Governments of Canada and British Columbia, with each committing $15 million to help host the events in Vancouver and Whistler. The federal government has also pledged an extra $1 million to the Canadian Armed Forces' Soldier On program, to support Canadian veterans' participation in the Games.
