2025 Invictus Games: A New Era for Ukrainian Veterans
In February 2025, the inaugural Invictus Winter Games will take place in Vancouver, marking a significant milestone for Ukraine. Veteran Yevhen Kaus was announced as part of the national team during the Barrier-Free Council meeting on January 29.
Yevhen Kaus — a certified coach in adaptive rowing, affiliated with the "Federation of Marine Multi-Sports of Ukraine" in the Odesa region.
During the full-scale war, Yevhen suffered a mine-explosive injury, resulting in the loss of both legs. At the Games in Vancouver, he will compete in three disciplines: curling, biathlon, and skeleton.
The Ukrainian team from the Odesa region also includes:
- Oleksii Vasyliev, a soldier of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, wounded in March 2023 during combat missions in Bakhmut;
- Illia Pylypenko, a sailor of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, wounded in September 2022 near Bilohirka, Kherson region, due to a mine explosion;
- Oleksii Prytula, a senior soldier of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, wounded in September 2022 in the vicinity of Yamplivka.
The Invictus Games is the largest international event for veterans and service members who have been injured while serving.
This will be the fifth participation for our country, and the Vancouver-Whistler 2025 Games will mark the first-ever winter hybrid games.
Veterans will compete in swimming, rowing on simulators, sitting volleyball, wheelchair basketball, and wheelchair rugby, along with new winter sports: alpine skiing, snowboarding, biathlon, cross-country skiing, skeleton, and wheelchair curling.
