The competitors were put through their paces at Tedworth House, Wiltshire, and Prince Harry was on hand to offer support and encouragement as they target a spot at the Games.

It is due to take place across a number of the landmark venues from the 2012 London Olympic and Paralympic Games, including the Aquatics Centre, Copper Box, VeloPark and Lee Valley Athletics Centre, from September 10 to 14.

Based on the United States' Warrior Games, the Invictus Games aim to provide sick, injured and wounded service personnel the opportunity to compete in high level competitive sport to help inspire recovery, support rehabilitation and generate a wider understanding and respect for those who serve their country.

Around 300 athletes from 13 nations are expected to attend the Games and will compete across eight adaptive sports - athletics, archery, wheelchair basketball, road cycling, indoor rowing, wheelchair rugby, swimming and sitting volleyball.

The British Armed Forces team will consist of 100 competitors - both serving and veteran - from the Army, Navy and Royal Air Force.

Competitors will be taking part in a range of sports at the Invictus Games including wheelchair rugby ©Getty Images



Prince Harry was impressed by the commitment and determination on show today and believes the efforts of those service personnel striving to make the team will inspire others who have been injured serving their country.

"I have seen how powerful sport is as a means of rebuilding confidence as well as aiding with physical rehabilitation," he said.

"These men and women are fighters by nature.

"The intense physical training and competitive spirit that will be forged inside this team as they prepare to represent their country in the Invictus Games will, I hope, go some way to helping the recovery not only of those who hope to be selected here today, but also inspire others along the way."

One of those taking part today was London 2012 competitor Charlie Walker, part of the British sitting volleyball team that finished eighth at the Paralympic Games.

Walker contracted meningitis while training with the Royal Logistic Corps in 2006 and had to have both legs amputated below the knee in 2008.

Speaking to insidethegames, the 34-year-old revealed that pride in representing his country and a desire to be the best no matter what the circumstances, led him to take up Paralympic sport and he is relishing the opportunity to return to the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

"I want to do everything to the best of my ability and this allows me to do that," said Walker, who will be also acting in a coaching role with the British team.

"Most of the competitions I go to are in other countries so in 2012 my family had never seen me play before and you also had 10,000 people in the ExCel Arena.

"It was unbelievable to come out in front of all them people and get the chance to show them what you can do.

"It's going to be different now because I am coaching the team as well as playing so it will be a little bit more pressure and more of a challenge."

London 2012 Paralympian Charlie Walker is relishing the opportunity to get back competing at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park ©Invictus Games



Following today's event, a number of selection and training events will take place over the next few months across the UK to find the competitors who will be part of the British Armed Forces team.

The selection of all competitors will be through a combination of factors including a commitment to train on a regular basis for the Games and an assessment of performance.

The process has been designed in consultation with Help for Heroes and national governing bodies for each of the sports to give the competitors the best opportunity for success.

The Invictus Games are being organised with the support and backing of The Royal Foundation of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry and the Ministry of Defence.

Jaguar Land Rover is the presenting partner.

Walker, who says he hopes to take part in a number of sports at the Games, is in no doubt that the support of Prince Harry has helped to get the Games off the ground.

"Well, when he talks people listen and you get stuff done," he told insidethegames.

"It went from being 'oh let's do it it's a good idea' to actually happening in a really short space of time and I don't think if his name hadn't been attached to it, it would have happened so quickly.

"He has been the driving force behind it and the number of people that turned up today to find out about it and watch, I don't think you would get that if he wasn't attached to it."

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