00:03Navigating the obstacles of life in and after the Defence Force.
00:07When you first leave Defence, like, you lose your sense of purpose and everything else.
00:11You're so busy every day, you have purpose and everything else,
00:15and then when you leave it kind of just all stops at once.
00:17So to have events like this, bringing people together is really important.
00:20Two, one, go!
00:21Twelve teams, each made up of eight serving members and veterans from Australia and the United States,
00:26competed in a range of physical challenges at Darwin's army base,
00:30scored on time, technique and teamwork.
00:34The event's founder, former commando Heston Russell,
00:37says the Games are about showcasing excellence and improving outcomes for veterans.
00:42This is our fourth year for the Veteran Games nationally
00:44and it was derived directly from the findings of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide,
00:49where we need to get veterans back together with purpose,
00:53celebrating the excellence of those values that unite us in service.
00:56And he says the benefits are paying off.
00:59It's the mental, emotional and psychosocial changes we've seen over the last four years
01:03that have been incredible and are giving us that purpose to continue this initiative nationwide as well.
01:08For the veterans, the physical challenges are no walk in the park.
01:11Getting over the wall, which is something I haven't done since recruit training,
01:15I'm pretty proud that I was able to do that.
01:17One of the walls over there, one of the guys just went straight into it.
01:20I've copped a little bit of an injury from the wall,
01:22but it's all in the fun of the Games, isn't it?
01:24Battling it out in hot and windy territory conditions
01:27for a spot at the National Veterans Games finals next month.
01:31I'm happy to have that undermentioned.
01:32You have your visibility here, it's a little bit more.
01:33I'm happy to have you guys.
01:33I'm happy to have you, so.
01:33You
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