It was at a party for a friend in London last year that someone mentioned to semi-retired sports media executive Scott Moore that he ought to throw his hat in the ring for the suddenly open role of CEO of the Invictus Games coming this February to Vancouver and Whistler.
Moore, former head of Rogers’ Sportsnet and its NHL properties and CBC Sports, demurred and instead suggested some names to consider. But when he returned home to California, he was compelled to watch the Netflix series, Heart of Invictus.
It should not surprise anyone that a TV show inspired a TV executive to make his next move: “I called them back and said, ‘I’m in.’” His wife told him: “We will apply for this and we will get it.”
He came north for the job interview at the start of the year and really hasn’t returned home. And yes, he got it and gets it.
The amalgam of competition, recovery and purpose for wounded, injured and sick veteran or active servicemen and women from about 25 countries is in the final staging of logistical and financial readiness. I found 15 minutes in his day to wrest some details.
We have managed to come this far in the column without mentioning its creator, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, who served in the British military for a decade and saw two tours in Afghanistan. He resolved in seeing the Warrior Games in 2013 to build what quickly the following year became the Games’ debut in London. These will be the seventh Games, the second in Canada.
“He is deeply involved,” said Moore, familiar with the taste of Harry’s fierce competitiveness when the two participated in a wheelchair basketball game in Mount Currie at an event with the Lil'wat First Nation.
The Prince roared toward Moore on the court and sent him to the floor. “Welcome to the Invictus Games,” the duke said.
The Games have committed to a balanced budget and a $5-million legacy for veterans. Its budget will be disclosed before the Games, and Moore reports it is within $2 million of the target, with corporate and individual ticket sales (now on sale through Ticketmaster) and donations still to come. Some 1,600 volunteers will support the Feb. 8-16 event.
There is substantial institutional buy-in: Atco and Boeing are presenting partners, Teck and Fisher House are premier partners. The federal and provincial governments and the charitable True Patriot Love are founding partners.
The board chair is Don Lindsay, former Teck CEO and current Manulife Financial chair, and features corporate, athletic, First Nations and government representatives.
These will be the first-ever Games staged in winter – with six adaptive winter sports among the 11 – benefiting in good measure from facilities of the 2010 Olympic Games: the Whistler Olympic Park, Sliding Centre and alpine slopes, along with the Vancouver Convention Centre and Hillcrest Centre. Opening and closing ceremonies will be held at Rogers Arena, with swimming at UBC’s Aquatic Centre. Bell Media will provide ceremony coverage and a daily hour-long highlight show.
Over the years I’ve seen and read of them, the Games have been increasingly successful in challenging conventional narratives about wounded soldiers, in part by presenting their stories of personal growth and achievement with empathy and respect.
Even so, Moore says with experience, that portrayal also takes into account that our relationships to athletes depends very much on understanding their backstories, their struggles and what they’ve overcome in order for us to root for them.
The Games strive for that balance, just as they emphasize service over militarism. I don’t doubt anyone who watches or attends in February will derive a meaningful new perspective.
Moore believes there are two principal objectives for these Games: “One, I hope it changes and improves Canadians’ relationship to the military, to one of stronger gratefulness.” In part prodded by last year’s Games in Düsseldorf, Germany, is bringing about a veterans’ appreciation day next year – somewhat different from our Remembrance Day, as a way to honour military service and their current challenges, like mental health issues. “Two: I hope it gives us a greater appreciation of adaptive sport and varying levels of ability and a real change in people’s attitudes. … I think it can deliver us greater respect of the power of sport in our lives.”
Kirk LaPointe is a Glacier Media columnist with an extensive background in journalism.
