RAF personnel supported by Fund to compete in first-ever hybrid Invictus Games

This February, RAF serving personnel and veterans supported by the RAF Benevolent Fund will compete in the first-ever hybrid Invictus Games hosted in Canada.

The Invictus Games is taking place in Vancouver and Whistler, Canada, from 8-16 February 2025. There are 64 members of Team UK taking part with 550 competitors from 25 nations, including 28 RAF personnel.

The multi-sport event offers a recovery pathway for internationally wounded, injured and sick servicemen and women. This year’s Games will be the first to include both winter and summer adaptive sports, including sit-ski, wheelchair basketball, swimming, skeleton, indoor rowing, cycling and archery to name a few.

There are four members of the RAF Family, previously supported by the RAF Benevolent Fund, who have been selected to compete in the Games this year.

RAF veteran Stacey Mitchell , 30, was supported by the Fund following an overuse injury in her leg, resulting in long-term damage, with Stacey choosing to remove her leg. The Fund purchased and adapted a property for Stacey in 2022 after 18 months of recovery from her operation.

Stacey will be competing in Wheelchair Rugby of which she is the Vice Captain of Team UK. She said: “The support from the Fund has been incredible in improving my quality of life. It gave me the independence I’d been craving for so long and has allowed me to live my life again.”

Former Senior Aircraftman Neil Fellingham, 36, will be competing in Wheelchair Basketball and Alpine Skiing. Neil was supported by the Fund following an injury sustained to his leg when he was run over by a car he was repairing, leaving him with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome. Neil has now requested to have his leg amputated.

The Fund provided Neil with funding for a pedal assist e-bike to continue his passion for cycling, as well as counselling through the Fund’s Listening and Counselling Service following his diagnosis of Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Neil said: “Having the e-bike has allowed me to keep fit and has helped prepare for the Invictus Games. The support from the Fund has empowered me. I am now able to go out and ride; I just enjoy living in the moment. It’s a true feeling of escapism.”

Squadron Leader Samantha May, 31, is currently serving as an RAF doctor and will be competing in this year’s Games following a sporting accident which resulted in severe damage to her leg and chronic pain. Sam will be competing in wheelchair basketball, swimming and skiing at the Games.

The Fund supported Sam through the Listening and Counselling Service when her mental health declined after her accident. She said: “I was struggling mentally; I’d gone from being an athlete and a doctor and feeling capable, to not being able to do anything really. I was in a lot of pain and feeling very low. The Fund also supported me with a grant for my swimming kit and equipment to enable me to compete.”

Mechanical Aircraft Engineer Matt Wickens has been serving in the RAF for 14 years, currently based at RAF Lossiemouth. Whilst stationed in Cyprus, Matt had a sledging accident whilst in the mountains with his family, leaving him seriously injured.

Matt is competing in swimming, biathlon and skeleton bobsleigh at the Games. He said: “I’m very excited to try something new and represent my country. I’m most looking forward to the skeleton – I think it will be a big moment for me with the nature of my accident being on a sledge. This is the event I really wanted to tick off just to say, ‘I’ve done it’. Mentally, it will really help me close a chapter.”

The Fund stepped in to support Matt and his family when they relocated to Scotland and were struggling financially. Matt said: “My wife needed to travel from Scotland to Oxford for a specialist medical appointment and the Fund awarded us a one-off grant to cover travel costs. It was a massive support for us.”

The Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025 will take place from 8-16 February 2025.