Prince-Harry’s-Closing-Speech-Invictus-Games-2017

PrinceHarry’sClosingSpeechInvictusGames2017Iwanttostartbysayingthankyou.ThankyoutoMichaelBurnsandhisteam,toalltheamazingvolunteers,toourfriendsandfamilies,andtothepeopleofToronto.YouhavedeliveredthebiggestInvictusGamesyet,withthemostincredibleatmosphere,makingourcompetitorsfeellikethestarstheyare.Oneweekago,Itoldyouthatyouneededtobeready.ButevenI,couldnothavebeenreadyforthescaleofwhatwewitnessedattheseGames.Itoldyoutobereadyforsomefiercecompetition.ButI’mnotsureanyofuswerereadyforagroupofmenfromGeorgia-whountilthreeyearsagohadneverevenplayedthegametobattleallthewaytogoldinsittingvolleyball.Itoldyoutobereadytoseeexamplesofdetermination,thatwouldgiveyoupowerinyourownlives.ButI’mnotsureanyofuswerereadytoseeMarkOrmrod,withamedalroundhisneck,hoistinghissonontohisshoulders,andcapturingtheimaginationoftheworld.Itoldyoutobereadytoseethetruemeaningofteamwork.ButwhocouldhavepredictedhowpowerfulitwouldbetoseecompetitorsfromUkraine,Denmark,Romania,andAmerica,bandtogether,toformTeamUnconquered,andwinasittingvolleyballgamewithpeopletheyjustmet.Itoldyoutogetreadytoseerolemodelsthatchildrenwouldlookupto.ButwhocouldhaveimaginedthatRandiGavell,wouldcompeteonthetrack,onthecourtandinthepool,havingbattledbackfromemotionalchallenges,andwhilefourandahalfmonthspregnant.IthinkweallknowwhoRandi’slittlegirlisgoingtolookupto.Itoldyoutobereadytoseeliveschangeinfrontofyoureyes.ButIdidn’ttellyouthatsomeofthoselives,wouldbeyourown.Itoldyouthatanythingispossible,ifyouhavethewill.ButIdidn’ttellyouthatwhenwesawtripleamputeeMikeNicholsonnaila150yarddriveonthegolfcourse,thatourideaofwhatwethoughtwaspossible,wouldchangeforever.Itoldyou,youwouldbeinspired.ButIdidn’tsay,thatthesegames,mightleaveyouquestioning,ifyouarelivingtoyourowntruepotential.Tothethousandswhofilledthestandsthisweek,andthemillionswhowatchedathome,letmeissueyouachallenge.Don’tjustmoveonfromthesegameswithhappymemories.Instead,makeanInvictusgoalforyourselves.Lettheexamplesofserviceandresiliencethatyouhaveseen,inspireyoutotakeactiontoimprovesomething-bigorsmall-inyourlife,foryourfamily,orinyourcommunity.Let’screatearippleeffectoftheInvictusspiritacrossournations,thatwillbethereallegacyofthisextraordinaryweek.AsIdidaweekago,Iwanttoendbyspeakingdirectlytoourcompetitors.Rightnowyou’reonahigh-atthesummitofamountainmanyofyouthoughtwastoohightoclimb.Youhavedoneit.Thisisthemoment,righthere,rightnow,shouldertoshoulder,YouareInvictus.TheseGamesarenotaboutgold,silverorbronzemedals.Theyneverhavebeen.They’reaboutthejourneythatyouandyourfamilieshavemadetothestartline.Now,goinghome,itmightbetough,astheexcitementfades,butyouhavefacedmuchgreaterchallengesbefore,itwillbeabreeze.AsIhavesaidmanytimes,onceyouhaveserved,youarealwaysserving.Onyourreturnhome,IwantyoutosetanewInvictusgoal.Makeaplanabouthowyouaregoingtousetheexperienceofthisweek,tohelpliftupallthosearoundyou.Itmightbesomethingbig,likestartinganewprojectforyoungpeople.Or,itmightbesomethingsmall,likereconnectingwithanoldfriend.Itdoesn’tmatterhowbigorsmallyourstepis-justtakeit.Ourworldneedsyourdedicationandpassionlikeneverbefore.Andyouneverknow,thismayjustbethemissingpieceofthepuzzletohelpyouregainthatsatisfactionofservingothersonceagain.And,I’dalsoaskforonemoreimportantfavour.IbetyoucanallthinkofatleastonepersonwhowouldbenefitfromtheInvictusGames,buthasyettofindthemotivationtomakethatfirststep.WhenwegatherinSydneynextyear,Ilookforwardtoseeingfamiliarfacesincompetition.But,morethananything,Ihopetomeetthosewhohavewatchedthesegamesathome,whomaystillbestruggling,butwithyoursupportwillweartheirnation’sflagontheirchestonceagainaspartofthe2018Games.AndIwanttoseethosewhohavecompetedthisyear,backbytheirsidescheeringthemon,asothershavedoneforyou.TheInvictusGamesarenotjustforthealreadydetermined.TheseGamesareforthosewhoneeditmost.Pleasehelpusfindthem.It’sgonnabeGameOn,DownUnder.I’llseeyouinAustralia.