Polish veterans at Invictus Games 2025 proved that restrictions be only in the heads. 19 soldiers injured during the service took up the challenge and faced a sporting conflict with over 500 veterans from 23 countries. Now they're competing for the Bugdygan Internauts. "These are average people who do extraordinary things," says Prince Harry about IG players.
"One band, 1 heart. Poland” – that was the cry encouraging the sports fight of the Polish team, which took part in the games in February 2025 Invictus Games in Vancouver and Whistler Canada. These are global sports competitions for soldiers who have suffered harm to wellness during service. The organizer of these games is the Invictus Games foundation founded by Prince Harry, a associate of the British royal family. He served in the army, in Afghanistan, among others, as a pilot of the Apache helicopter, hence he knows perfectly well what physical and intellectual traces war leaves on the wellness of soldiers.
W Canada Polish competitors competed in hall rowing, volleyball on sitting and swimming, as well as in winter sports: alpine and classical skiing, biathlon, skeleton and curling on wheelchairs. We were in combat moods for the Olympics in Canada. We created a supportive squad and we motivated each another to fight sports – says St. Chor. staff. Darius Gawel, Ensign of our team.
Joint victory
Our squad composed of veterans injured on missions and soldiers wounded on work in the country, won six medals, including 4 in winter disciplines. He was the first to choice up a silver disc in cross-country skiing st. chor. in st. c. Rafał Korzenewski. On the last day of the competition he threw bronze and silver in the hall rowing. erstwhile the emotions went down, he thanked for cheering and supporting. On Facebook, he wrote: “Invictus Games is not just a competition. It's a communicative of people who haven't given up. Who, despite adversity, stood at the start and said, I am here. I'm inactive fighting. But neither of us would have come here alone. Me neither. This is our joint victory."
– In the top 10 of the best players in cross-country skiing there were 5 Poles. They competed, won medals, although they did not have much experience – Major Małgorzata Kalita, head of the Polish squad at Invictus Games 2025, emphasizes the large desire to fight. Among them was Lieutenant Sebastian Starostka, who in downhill skiing reached for a gold disc. He was amazed to have reached the best time.
The officer admits that they have paid off training on mountain slopes while serving in the 25th Air Cavalry Brigade. The old woman besides fought in the skeleton. He competed on the world's fastest track and won a bronze medal. The disc of the same colour won Captain Peter Maletka (in another weight category). Both of them went down a sled track at about 100 km/h. It was my first reunion. There was incredible adrenaline and large emotions – Captain Maletka mentioned the start. Before coming to Canada, no of our players trained this discipline for a simple reason: there is no appropriate sledge track in Poland.
Invictus Force
The athletes were cheered by their closest. The IG Foundation besides invites families and friends of soldiers to the competition to thank them for supporting injured veterans during rehabilitation. Closers agree that the atmosphere that prevails at the Invictus Games has no another competitions. In this sports arena, you don't feel the spirit of typical competition due to the fact that there are no losers here. The real winners are those who cross the finish line as last. They get more applause than the winners due to the fact that they have overcome their own limitations and fought to the end.
The players agree that more crucial than gold, silver and bronze discs was the participation in the games itself. They say that the medal is simply a part of gold, and the most crucial thing is sports fighting and overcoming our own weaknesses. Veterans who have had a dramatic experience in the ministry emphasize that participation in the IG competition is their form of therapy. With sports competition, they regain assurance in themselves. As they say, “they can feel the strength of Invictus” erstwhile they compete with each another but besides support each other.
Medal statistics
The first Invictus Games competition was held in 2014 in London. 2 years later, the players competed in Florida, USA, and in 2017 in Toronto, Canada. The Polish squad – squad Invictus Poland – made its IG debut in 2018 in Sydney, Australia. In the following competition in The Hague in 2022 we won a gold medal, 2 silver ones and 5 bronze ones. A year later in Duesseldorf, the Polish squad reached for 15 medals, including 8 gold, 3 silver and 4 bronze. During the IG in Canada in 2025, erstwhile the players first competed in winter disciplines, our medal statistic has increased by six medalsOne gold, 2 silver and 3 brown.
Polish sports squad players Invictus Games Vancouver / Whistler 2025:
Capt. Piotr Maletka, is simply a soldier of the 12th Mechanized Brigade and veteran of the 4th PKW changes Afghanistan and V PKW changes Lebanon
Sergeant. Rafał Janusz Sidorczuk, is simply a soldier of the 18th Belarusian Reconnaissance Regiment and veteran of the VII PKW changes Afghanistan
Lt. dir. Sebastian Starostka, served in the 25th Air Cavalry Brigade. He is simply a specialist in reconnaissance and sniper activities and veteran of the 5th PKW Iraq and 5th PKW changes Afghanistan
Mł. chor. Emil Uran, serves as a post in the Veteran Centre for Activities outside the State Borders. He is simply a veteran of the 3rd PKW shift of Afghanistan
Mł. Chor. Adam Lewkowski, serves at the Nil Military Unit and is simply a veteran of the 3rd PKW changes Afghanistan
st. chor. staff. Dariusz Gawel, serves at the 2nd Radioelectronic Center in Przasnysz. He is simply a veteran of the Second PKW Amendment of Afghanistan
Sick. Grzegorz Jankowski, is simply a soldier of the 19th Lublin Mechanized Brigade and veteran of the 2nd and 7th PKW changes Iraq, X PKW changes Afghanistan and III, V and XXXXVI changes PKW KFOR Kosovo
Major Marcin Burzyński, soldier of the 18th Belarusian Reconnaissance Regiment, veteran of the KFOR mission in Kosovo in 2000 and 2001, I and IV changes of PKW Iraq as well as XII changes of PKW Afghanistan
Sergeant. Tomasz Józefek, serves in the 19th Self-Truck Artillery Division and is simply a veteran of the 7th PKW change Afghanistan
Lieutenant Mariusz Sawicki, serves in the 15th Giżycka Mechanized Brigade. He is simply a veteran of the III and VII PKW changes of Iraq, as well as the Order of the Military Cross Bachelor
Chor. in St. Przemysław Wójtowicz, is an expert in sniperry. He collaborated with operational, training and exploratory sections. He served during the 7th PKW shift in Afghanistan
Sgt. Paweł Frost, is simply a soldier of the 3rd Zamo Rican Mechanized Battalion and veteran of the 7th PKW change Afghanistan
St. chor. in the St. at the station of Rafał Korzenewski, served, among others, at the Military Centre for Pharmacy and Medical Technology in Celestynowo. He is simply a veteran of the 8th PKW shift in Afghanistan
st. Sgt. Piotr Leśniak, is simply a soldier of the 1st Podhalan firearm Battalion and a veteran of PKW KFOR in Kosovo in 2007 and 2008 and the 6th PKW changes in Afghanistan
Sergeant Simon Mutwicki, a veteran who served in 2004 under PKW Iraq and in 2007 at PKW Afghanistan
Deputy Commander Dominic Jung, a soldier of the 25th Air Cavalry Brigade, serves at the Aeromobilno-Spadochrony Training Centre in the large Leźnica. He is simply a veteran of the IX PKW changes Afghanistan and XXXVIII PKW changes KFOR Kosovo
Colonel Robert Zachmacz, serves in the General Command of Armed Forces Types. He is simply a veteran of 3rd PKW Iraq and VII and XII PKW Afghanistan changes
Sergeant. Andrzej Kuciński, is simply a soldier of the 10th Armored Cavalry Brigade in Świętszów and a veteran of the mission in Iraq and the 8th PKW changes in Afghanistan
Lieutenant Arkadiusz Studziński, serves at the Military Centre for Medical Training in Łódź. He is simply a veteran of the 13th PKW shift in Afghanistan.
