00:00Hello, Toronto. Bonsoir, Canada.
00:05Merci beaucoup pour votre hospitalité.
00:15Trevor and his family are what Invictus is all about.
00:19Invictus is about the dedication of the men and women
00:23who serve their countries,
00:25confronted hardship and refused to be defined by their injuries.
00:30Invictus is about the families and friends
00:32who face the shock of learning
00:35that their loved ones have been injured or fallen ill
00:38and then rallied to support them on their journey of recovery.
00:44And above all, Invictus is about the example to the world
00:47that all servicemen and women, injured or not,
00:51provide about the importance of service and duty.
01:03The true scale of this example was brought home to me
01:07when I left Afghanistan after my first deployment there in 2008.
01:12As I was waiting on board the plane,
01:14the coffin of a Danish soldier was loaded on by his friends.
01:19Once on the flight, I was confronted with three British soldiers,
01:23all in induced comas, with missing limbs and wrapped in plastic.
01:30The way I viewed service and sacrifice changed forever
01:35and the direction of my life changed with it.
01:40I knew that it was my responsibility
01:42to use the great platform that I have
01:45to help the world understand and be inspired
01:49by the spirit of those who wear the uniform.
02:05In a world where so many have reasons to feel cynical and apathetic,
02:11I wanted to find a way for veterans to be a beacon of light
02:15and show us all that we have a role to play,
02:18that we all win when we respect our friends, neighbours and communities.
02:24That's why we created Invictus,
02:27not only to help veterans recover from their physical and mental wounds,
02:32but also to inspire people to follow their example
02:36of resilience, optimism and service in their own lives.
02:40We made a great start in London in 2014.
02:44We took it to the next level in Orlando last year.
02:47And over the next week, in this year,
02:51as we celebrate Canada's 150th anniversary,
02:55Toronto is going to put on a Games
02:57that draws the attention of the world.
03:05CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
03:12More competitors, more sports, more nations, more friends, more families,
03:19and more people watching at home than ever before.
03:23With the people in this arena tonight
03:25and those watching across Canada and around the world,
03:28we have the biggest crowd Invictus has ever enjoyed.
03:41In the days ahead, I know many of you
03:44will be experiencing Invictus for the first time.
03:47I hope you're ready.
03:48I hope you're ready for some fierce competition.
03:52I hope you're ready to see the meaning of teamwork
03:55that proves anything is possible when we work together.
03:59I hope you're ready to see courage and determination
04:02that will inspire you to power through the challenges
04:05in your own life.
04:07I hope you're ready to see role models in action
04:10that any parent will want their children to look up to.
04:14And...
04:16APPLAUSE
04:20And I hope you're ready to see lives change
04:23in front of your eyes.
04:24Before I close, I want to speak directly to the competitors.
04:29For the next week, we entrust you with the Invictus spirit.
04:34You have all come such a long way.
04:38Some of you have cheated death
04:40and come back stronger than before.
04:43Some of you have overcome emotional challenges
04:45that until very recent years
04:48would have seen you written off and ignored.
04:51And now you are here,
04:53on the world stage,
04:55flags on your chests,
04:57representing your countries again,
04:59supporting your teammates
05:00and looking up into the stands
05:02and into the eyes of your families and friends.
05:05You are all winners.
05:09APPLAUSE
05:20Please don't forget to love every second of it.
05:24Don't forget about our friends
05:25who didn't come home from the battlefield.
05:28Don't forget those at home
05:30who still need our support.
05:32And don't forget
05:33that you are proving to the world
05:35that anything is possible.
05:38You are Invictus.
05:40Let's get started.
05:42APPLAUSE
05:45And don't forget to love the spirit.
05:45And don't forget to
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