Season 2: The Invictus Games

Music [00:00]

Host [00:47]

Most of us will never know the full horrors of combat. While serving their country, many suffer life‑changing injuries. Some that we can see, others that we can’t.

How do these Canadians find the motivation to move on? How do they learn not to let their injuries define them?

The word invictus means unconquered. It embodies the fighting spirit of ill and injured military personnel, and the idea that anything is possible.

The Invictus Games harness the power of sport to inspire recovery, with competing athletes capturing hearts, challenging minds and changing lives.

Serving members and Veterans of the Canadian Armed Forces compete in the Invictus Games. It’s an experience like no other, one that changes them forever. This past May Team Canada faced an entirely new challenge as the games set for The Hague were postponed to 2021 due to the COVID‑19 pandemic. We want to introduce you to some of Team Canada’s competitors and honour their achievements. Listen and learn about their incredible journeys and how they are continuing to train and prepare for next year’s Invictus Games. Here are their stories.

Retired Corporal Jessica Garneau joined the Canadian Armed Forces in 2007 at the Royal Military College of Canada. She spent one year in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec, and two years in Kingston, Ontario, as a resource management support clerk. Garneau’s military career ended suddenly as a result of a psychological injury. Now retired, she was to compete for Team Canada at the 2020 Invictus Games. When she needed help, Garneau relied on Soldier On, a Canadian Armed Forces program that helps veterans overcome their injuries. With Soldier On, Garneau was able to set life goals and learn how to take on several challenges. She shares her tips on how to stay motivated during COVID‑19 and how training helped her overcome her personal challenges. Sport has always been a part of her life and she joins us to talk about her journey and her personal motto that guides her through her daily challenges.

Music [02:52]

Jessica Garneau [02:55]

I did the first training camp, which was in British Columbia, and at that time I was a little less stable, so I needed a little more time to work on myself before I could go to the Games, so I had to leave the training camp. But being able to go to the Games has always been a goal, a personal goal to represent my country is something that I’m very, very proud of and I’m very much look forward to doing it. So I reapplied for the Games and I was extremely lucky because they gave me a second chance. This is something I admire and love about the Soldier On Program. They are there to support us when we need them, despite what has happened in the past. It’s one of the main reasons why it’s a personal achievement. And sport has always been part of my life, especially after my injury. I do it, I’ve done it more since my injury and it allows me to focus on something that I’m good at and that I appreciate doing.

It’s an opportunity for me to be a bit more social. I’m a very introverted person, so I don’t necessarily gravitate towards people, but when I’m doing sports I feel very comfortable.

Music [04:17]

Jessica Garneau [04:29]

First of all, one of my biggest challenges was just getting to camp, so that was my first personal challenge. I was happy to get physically fit and then everything else was just a cherry on top the sundae. And the second camp, which was in San Diego, California, was an even bigger challenge, because it was a little further away and I had to take an international flight and all that, so there were challenges, more on the social side with my agoraphobia, so just going to the training camp in San Diego was amazing.

Host [05:05]

She believed she could do it, so she did it and she will continue to do it: This is Jessica Garneau’s motto. She tells us how this sentence gives her comfort and inspires her to persevere.

Jessica Garneau [05:18]

So I have a tattoo on my body and that’s the sentence I tattooed on my side, so I see it every day. There have been moments following my injury and even now from time to time when I don’t feel up to doing certain things because of my injuries. I put myself down a little bit and it seems that sometimes there are certain goals that seem impossible. Due to my injuries, I have to take control, so I remind myself of this motto often and it helps me remember what I’ve achieved since my injury, whether that’s completing my master’s degree, making it to the Invictus Games, completing the training camps or whatever else I’ve achieved over the years since my injury. It’s very important that I remember it every time I doubt myself, that if I put in the effort and I want to do it, and I ask for support from the necessary sources, I’m going to be able to do what I want regardless of whether I have an injury or not.

Music [06:22]

Jessica Garneau [06:34]

I continue to train. This is something that has always been important, so I’m continuing to cycle and run. I’ve rediscovered meditation, which has helped me a lot during COVID. And there are a lot of ways to stay connected even when we’re stuck at home. For me, I meditate with an online group. I stay in touch with my cycling team. We do our running with Facebook or texting, things like that. And there’s just reminding myself that it’s not something that’s going to last forever. We don’t know when it’s going to end exactly but we know that eventually things are going to go back to normal. The little glimmer of hope that keeps me a little more motivated is, of course, the Games. They haven’t been cancelled, just postponed. I still have this goal, this motivation to continue to train to represent Canada the best way I can in May 2021.

Music [07:34]

Jessica Garneau [07:36]

There are some people who doubt the support we get as veterans. I can only speak from my own experience, but Soldier On, the Program has really always been there for me. This is not the first time I have participated in groups with them. I’ve done, I’ve done other things with Soldier On as well. So I really, personally, still I can only speak for myself. Really, the support from Veterans Affairs and Soldier On in helping me get through my injury, helping me achieve my goals. So, yes, the money, the time given to these organizations really help injured veterans because I am proof of that and I am very grateful for these services.

Host [08:30]

And with that, I’d like to thank you for listening to this edition of the Faces of Freedom Invictus Games podcast. If you’re interested in getting involved in Soldier On programs, please go to www.soldieron.ca to learn more.

You can keep up to date with all of our stories and join the conversation on social media by using the hashtag #CanadaRemembers. Or, you can find us online, at veterans.gc.ca/canadaremembers.

We also have online Faces of Freedom articles, where you can learn more about those who have served and sacrificed for our country. If you have a suggestion for the podcast – whether it’s a specific guest or story – you can reach us on social media, through the Canada Remembers Facebook and Instagram pages, as well as the Veterans Affairs Canada Twitter account. Thanks for joining! We’ll see you next time. And remember – their faces tell the story, but their legacy will live on.

Please note that the intro to the podcast with the Duke of Sussex speaking at the closing ceremonies of the Invictus Games Sydney 2018 was patron of the Invictus Games Foundation.

Music [00:00]

Host [00:52]

Most of us will never know the full horrors of combat. While serving their country, many suffer life-changing injuries. Some we can see, others we can’t.

How do these Canadians find the motivation to move on? How do they learn how not to let their injuries define them?

The word invictus means unconquered. It embodies the fighting spirit of ill and injured military personnel, and the idea that anything is possible.

The Invictus Games harness the power of sport to inspire recovery, with the competing athletes capturing hearts, challenging minds and changing lives.

Serving members and Veterans of the Canadian Armed Forces compete in the Invictus Games. It’s an experience like no other, one that changes them forever. This past May Team Canada faced an entirely new challenge as the games set for The Hague were postponed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We want to introduce you to some of Team Canada’s competitors and honour their achievements. Listen and learn about their incredible journeys and how they are continuing to train and prepare for next year’s Invictus Games. Here are their stories.

Music [02:00]

Host [02:03]

In his time in the Canadian Armed Forces retired Sergeant Chris Zizek served as a vehicle technician in the army, a job that took him across Canada and on a deployment to Afghanistan. After leaving the military, Chris was encouraged to apply to Soldier On to compete in the Invictus Games and now, he relishes how competition has made such a positive impact on him as well as his children. Chris tells us the story of his journey towards positive change.

Music [02:28]

Chris Zizek [02:30]

May of last year I got that letter in the mail and I had a double take. I’m like there is no way (he laughs). I had my wife read the letter and she goes “holy crap”, I’m like you’re telling me, does that say that I just got accepted and she goes, “yes”. It was quite surreal and it took me a couple of weeks to really process it, I kept it to myself. I was just like this is unbelievable when you read that almost 500 people applied and they only pick 31 and I was one of them… it’s quite a feeling to say the least. 

Music [03:05]

Chris Zizek [03:12]

It was like your typical military show up on a course. There is going to be 30 people and you don’t really know anybody, some people may know somebody. You kind of go in with that attitude. It was funny we had team breakfasts and dinners and we would sit together as a team say in the mess hall, but when we were at the hotel we would have all these separate tables. And it was kind of like, you try to spread yourself out. For myself I am a social bug, so I like to talk to everybody (he chuckles). But, there were some people there who just weren’t ready for that, it was hard for me to see or understand to try not to push, to try not to pry, but you want to show a person that we’re all together and let’s do this together. I also took the opportunity every time we went on a bus to go to different events for each of our training opportunities leading up to the competition, I would sit beside someone new and just start talking to them and ask “Who are you bringing to the Hague, how have you been at home?” It was fun for me to finally open up to people and have everyone else open up to me. It really gave me a lot of perspective on everybody.

In the end the inspiring stories, let alone Team Canada, but from the international level. We were working out with Team France, Team USA or Team Georgia, we were working out with everybody during these training sessions. You got to learn a bit about everybody and their stories. It’s mind blowing what they’ve done with their injuries and how they’ve turned it around. I’m going to implement a lot of these changes at home.

Music [04:38]

Chris Zizek [04:50]

To represent Canada on an international level is just mind blowing and here I am I’m about to do it. I’ve watched every opening ceremony of the Invictus Games on TV or streamed it over the years, and I’m like look at all those guys and I’m like “Oh man, I wish one day I can do that”, I wondered if I could do it and now here I am, I qualified for it. I can be that guy. Now I’m the guy on TV, do I shave, don’t I shave, now I’m thinking about my personal image that I am going to have everyone starring at. Then I get that nerve about how many people are going to be watching. Am I going to trip on my shoelace and make an embarrassing moment or something. It is absolutely an honour to be part of Team Canada and to continue to represent us as the polite country that we are.

Host [05:36]

Due to the COVID pandemic the Invictus Games Foundation made the difficult decision to postpone the Invictus Games in The Hague to 2021. Chris shares with us how he adapted his training and how it has driven him to reach new heights.

Music [05:50]

Chris Zizek [05:54]

We ended up going to one of the local fitness places here in town and we purchased our own rowing machine. It has been very helpful, because not only have I got on the rowing machine regularly, my kids now want to get on it and my wife gets on it. So now we have these little competitions between us. One teammate, Nick, we both have rowing machines so we decided to row a half-marathon a few weeks back. I’ve never been on a row machine for more than 10 km and here Nick and I ended up rowing 21.5 km for a competition and you know what, we had a blast. We did a video chat afterwards and it was just kind of cool to say as teammates we just accomplished something that we could’ve never accomplished a year ago, let alone the last 20 years for myself, so we’re continuing to inspire each other to just try to do something a little bit more.

My kids are who I want to inspire the most at the end of this. Trying to explain to them that, you know, I am okay, I did put them through a little bit of hell through my mental health struggles until I started to learn to deal with it and now it has become a positive thing. My kids are much happier and they want to keep challenging me to something, so now it’s a competition, we’ll make it fun. I enjoy those types of atmospheres and those types of challenges, so when we challenge each other it just means we’re going to have to keep going harder.

Music [07:13]

Host [07:19]

And with that, I’d like to thank you for listening to this edition of the Faces of Freedom Invictus Games podcast. If you’re interested in getting involved in Solider On programs, please go to www.soldieron.ca to learn more.

You can keep up to date with all of our stories and join the conversation on social media by using the hashtag #CanadaRemembers. Or, you can find us online, at veterans.gc.ca/canadaremembers.

We also have online Faces of Freedom articles, where you can learn more about those who have served and sacrificed for our country. If you have a suggestion for the podcast – whether it’s a specific guest or story – you can reach us on social media, through the Canada Remembers Facebook and Instagram pages, as well as the Veterans Affairs Canada Twitter account. Thanks for joining! We’ll see you next time. And remember – their faces tell the story, but their legacy will live on.

Please note that the intro to the podcast with the Duke of Sussex speaking at the closing ceremonies of the Invictus Games Sydney 2018 was patron of the Invictus Games Foundation.

Music [00:00]

Host [00:50]

Most of us will never know the full horrors of combat. While serving their country, many suffer life-changing injuries. Some we can see, others we can’t.

How do these Canadians find the motivation to move on? How do they learn not to let their injuries define them?

The word invictus means unconquered. It embodies the fighting spirit of ill and injured military personnel, and the idea that anything is possible.

The Invictus Games harness the power of sport to inspire recovery, with the competing athletes capturing hearts, challenging minds and changing lives.

Serving members and Veterans of the Canadian Armed Forces compete in the Invictus Games. It’s an experience like no other, one that changes them forever. This past May Team Canada faced an entirely new challenge as the games set for The Hague were postponed to 2021 due to the COVID 19 pandemic. We want to introduce you to some of Team Canada’s competitors and honour their achievements. Listen and learn about their incredible journeys and how they are continuing to train and prepare for next year’s Invictus Games. Here are their stories.

Music [02:00]

Host [02:01]

During his time with the Canadian Armed Forces, Chief Warrant Officer Junior Gosse, now retired, served as a Military Policeman across the Army, Navy and Air Force.

He was posted throughout Canada and deployed to Iran and Somalia. In 1979, he helped rescue six American diplomats from Iranian militants during the takeover of the US Embassy in Tehran—an operation popularized by the film Argo in 2012.

He joins us today to talk about how Soldier On programs have helped him overcome the physical and mental health challenges he has faced in his post-military life.

Junior Gosse [02:37]

There is certainly a lot of invisible injuries that people have, I guess I’m an example of that. If you look at me I look like I’m a fairly healthy person, but I have a number of non-visible injuries that have been holding me back and through getting involved with the Invictus Games and Team Canada I am able to breakdown some of those barriers, move on and adapt and have a better, healthier lifestyle.

Music [03:10]

Junior Gosse [03:18]

I was apprehensive about what I was getting into, but it was certainly short lived. The training camp was a brand new experience and it certainly didn’t take long to feel part of a team again. Our coaches are absolutely amazing and they certainly have a difficult task in training people like me who have injuries and I have to adapt, we all have to adapt. I had little, very little experience with cycling and swimming and none with wheelchair basketball, so the days were long and the nights were short and I took what information the coaches had to give and in no time I was heading back home to train with the new skills I learned.

Music [04:01]

Junior Gosse [04:06]

After several days of training there we had the opportunity to compete against our Marine Corp host and five other countries. I dislocated a finger while at that training camp so I couldn’t compete in cycling. In true form of what the Invictus Games and the Soldier On program promotes, I was fitted with a recumbent bike and raced with it during the competition. That was really neat to have to switch out from what you’re used to doing to something that is totally unfamiliar to you.

Music [04:42]

Junior Gosse [04:46]

I started out swimming with one arm, because I have a shoulder injury so I was practicing with one arm, but because of the training that I received and the inspiration that I got from other people and medical assistance, exercise and therapy, I have now overcome that injury somewhat and I’m now able to swim with both arms. At the training in Camp Pendleton one of the athletes from another countries he had no legs and he jumped off the start board at the swimming competition and swam the competition very well. I have all my limbs, but to see somebody competing and doing well with no legs is just truly motivation.

Host [05:40]

Invictus Games 2020 in the Hague has been postponed due to COVID-19. Junior tell us what he is doing to keep up with his training.

Junior Gosse [05:49]

I have a bike trainer in my basement so I am able to get on a bicycle at home and train on that. But it’s certainly not even close to being outside riding a bike. Now with the good weather cycling can be done outside and I have a few month to get a bunch of riding in. Being selected for the Invictus Games and being part of Team Canada I hope my story will inspire others to get involved in exercise and sport. Barriers can be broken and it’s certainly not easy. When you’re a part of such a great team and have the fantastic teammates and coaches like I do it certainly inspires you and make you feel like you’re on easy street. So, I’m hoping my story and what I am doing inspires other people to take up exercise and sport to just become better all-around people.

Host [06:57]

And with that, I’d like to thank you for listening to this edition of the Faces of Freedom Invictus Games podcast. If you’re interested in getting involved in Solider On programs, please go to www.soldieron.ca to learn more.

You can keep up to date with all of our stories and join the conversation on social media by using the hashtag #CanadaRemembers. Or, you can find us online, at veterans.gc.ca/canadaremembers.

We also have online Faces of Freedom articles, where you can learn more about those who have served and sacrificed for our country. If you have a suggestion for the podcast – whether it’s a specific guest or story – you can reach us on social media, through the Canada Remembers Facebook and Instagram pages, as well as the Veterans Affairs Canada Twitter account. Thanks for joining! We’ll see you next time. And remember – their faces tell the story, but their legacy will live on.

Please note that the intro to the podcast with the Duke of Sussex speaking at the closing ceremonies of the Invictus Games in Sydney 2018 was patron of the Invictus Games Foundation.