Recently highlighted in YFC’s Passenger Spotlight series, Mathieu LeBlanc, Rufca Hanna and Cory Harrison flew through YFC to participate in the Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025 for Team Canada. Keep reading to learn more about the games and these dedicated competitors’ stories.

 

Questions:

1. What is the Invictus Games?

“The Invictus Games is a game for ill and injured soldiers from all over the world,” says Rufca. “It brings like-minded people together to help us heal in our journey that we’re on.”

The Invictus Games are an international adaptive sporting competition, with 532 competitors from 23 nations. This year is the 10^th anniversary and the first year it includes winter games.

“It’s not just about the competition for us; it’s about the journey and what happens after the competition,” says Cory. “It’s very much emphasized that it’s not about winning trophies or medals, it’s about meeting everybody, connecting, and pursuing recovery through sport.”

This sporting competition sheds light on the fact that injuries aren’t always noticeable at a glance—many disabilities are invisible.

“It’s eye opening; how many other people share the same struggles, journey or healing that we do,” says Mathieu. “You don’t know that’s out there until someone brings it to light.”

This notion is becoming more widely spread, as programs such as the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Program are being created and embedded in our communities. YFC has adopted the Sunflower Program, along with over 280 airports around the world and 18 airlines worldwide.

 

2. What sports are you participating in?

Rufca, who has served over 24 years in the military, is participating in three sports: Nordic skiing, wheelchair rugby, and indoor rowing. In preparation for the competition, she trained with the Para New Brunswick team in Fredericton.

With 23 years in the military, Cory is participating in wheelchair basketball, indoor rowing, and skeleton. Skeleton is a winter sport where competitors travel head-first on a sled down an icy track, the fastest time wins!

Mathieu, who served 11 years in the military, is participating in wheelchair basketball and indoor rowing. Wheelchair basketball an adaptive team sport that requires precision, endurance and lots of practice.

 

3. How can our community support the Invictus Games?

There are ample ways to support the games, such as buying tickets, volunteering, and spreading the word to your friends and family. Starting conversations about the games, invisible disabilities, and what it represents is a key part of raising up and supporting our community.

“The games are an opportunity for everybody, not just the serving members, to be part of the community,” says Cory.

 

4. What does this competition represent?

“For me, it provides a sensible of belonging,” says Mathieu. “I felt alone for a long time because of my injuries. Once you go there [training for the games], and you’re around people who have the same injuries, you know you’re not alone, you have a family. It gives a purpose as well.”

“For me, what it’s done is it’s pulled me out of my dark space that I always lived in,” Rufca. “It’s put me in touch with other people that I can talk to, that have gone through similar things to me. It’s opened up a world of doors for me. It’s making it more comfortable for me to step outside and be more social, go out and volunteer. It’s given me a community that I can reach out to at any point in time that I need someone to talk to or to support whether they’re here in Fredericton, in Ontario or in Alberta.”

“It gives me a sense of purpose,” says Cory. “It let me know that there’s another world outside of the military and that still has that military mindset of teamwork and support.”

 

5. What word describes your emotions going into the games?

“Mixed,” says Rufca. “It’s a mixture of anxiety, excitement, nerves. So, I don’t know where I’m going to settle or what it’s going to come down to, but I know no matter which way it goes, I have 56 other people [Team Canada] that are supporting me—it’s a journey.”

“Motivated,” says Mathieu. “Motivated to show my family what I can do and motivated for our country.”

“Emotional,” says Cory. “My daughter understands what I’m doing, but my son doesn’t quite understand. A lot of our friends now are watching the documentary on Netflix for Invictus. My wife and all our friends are trying to watch it so they can understand the games a bit better. It’s a big misunderstanding that people think athletes have to be an amputee or physically injured to participate. Some of us do have physical injuries but the reason why we do the Invictus is different, so those emotions and, seeing my close network of family and friends really getting involved, makes it really emotional.”

 

6. What has the games done for you? / Final thoughts

“To be able to go and represent Canada in a different way than we did in the military, it gives a sense of pride,” says Rufca. “And having your family be there beside you to support you and all your teammates is incredible. This opportunity actually saved my life from the route that it was going.”

“It’s to help people physically, mentally stay active meet other people that you can connect with and be supported by,” says Cory. “It’s an area where I’ve found support that. Otherwise, I probably wouldn’t have had.”

“It gave me purpose,” says Mathieu. “Because I was just in the basement doing nothing until this came along, sports and going out of your comfort zone. It makes me you feel a part of military again.”

 

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Join us in supporting Cory, Rufca, Mathieu and all of Team Canada by watching their games on TSN and spreading the word. For more information visit the Invictus Games’ website.