Lisburn veteran delighted to be selected for Team UK for the 2025 Invictus Games
Stuart “Stu” Ball from Lisburn has been selected by the Royal British Legion to represent Team UK at the Invictus Games in Canada in 2025 – the first Games to include winter sports.
In partnership with the MOD, the RBL has proudly revealed a 64-strong team, who are all wounded, injured and sick serving personnel and veterans.
Stu described it as “fantastic” to be selected for Team UK.
He said: “I think this is hopefully going to be the start of a new me and I’m very excited for where this journey could take me and my family.”
Stu joined the British Army at just 16 years old, and conducted his first tour to Iraq when he was 18.
Working in Force Protection, Stu’s role was escorting convoys from Kuwait to their new destinations in Iraq.
Stu has travelled all over the world with the Army, including tours of Afghanistan and the Falklands.
As a vehicle support specialist, Stu would meet a high turnover of troops coming to him for vehicles and says “9 times out of 10 you’d be having a brew with somebody, you’d give them a vehicle, and then a week or two later vehicles could come back in and all those people you talked to, had a brew with, or had some banter and a laugh with are being flown home repatriated whilst you’re stood at their vigil. It’s quite a hard thing to get my head round.”
Stu was inspired by an athlete he watched on an Invictus Games documentary from Canada who had a similar mental injury to him, and thought “if he can do it, why can’t I”.
He added: “this Invictus journey has given me that sense of purpose and identity again, as I’d lost all that.
"I went from feeling ‘I'll give this a go’, to ‘I need this now’ to help me move on. Especially as my treatment’s due to start soon I'm hoping that can work hand in hand with Invictus.”
Established in 2014 by Prince Harry, the Invictus Games is an international adaptive multi-sport event for wounded, injured, and sick servicemen and women, both serving and veterans to participate in as part of their recovery journey.
Louise Assioun, RBL’s Team UK Manager said: “For the selected individuals, being part of a team again, representing their country and being around others who are all on their individual recovery pathway is what makes Team UK’s journey to the Invictus Games so unique.
"The Royal British Legion is proud to support them every step of the way.”
The Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025 will take place from February 8-16. The Games utilise the power of sport to inspire recovery and support rehabilitation, showcase the fortitude and resilience of military personnel and their families, improve respect and understanding for those with disabilities, and those who serve or have served their country.
While the RBL is well known for supporting veterans of the Second World War, the charity is also supporting younger veterans from more recent conflicts through their recovery journey.