The Invictus Games is an international adaptive multi-sport event, created by Prince Harry, in which wounded, injured or sick armed services personnel and their associated veterans take part in sports including wheelchair basketball, sitting volleyball, and indoor rowing. The word ‘invictus’ means ‘unconquered’. It embodies the fighting spirit of wounded, injured and sick Service personnel and personifies what these tenacious men and women can achieve post injury.
RAF veteran Michael Mellon was medically discharged in 2005 from his role as a senior aircraftman. The 38-year-old from Cardenden in Fife, is Scotland’s only representative in Team UK in Australia. Michael has targeted the 2018 Invictus Games as part of his ongoing recovery journey. “The training camps and events have really opened my eyes on how people in similar conditions have coped and progressed with their lives. Being around these people has helped me start to get my life back on track. “After becoming medically discharged I thought my life was over. Every day I just wished I was still in the RAF and with my friends. But I love being with the lads again – I feel like I’m accepted when I’m around them.”
Michael Mellon is a highly respected member of Disability Sport Fife. 2017 was an incredibly busy but wonderfully successful year for Michael. Michael applied to compete in sitting volleyball, wheelchair basketball, discus and shot at the 2017 UK Invictus Games and he attended his first training camp in December 2016.
As Michael was training for four events he had to attend camps almost every weekend. Trials were held at Bath University at the beginning of April and then Michael had to wait for five weeks before hearing if he had been selected. The official announcement came in the second week in May that he was off to Toronto for the 2107 Games as part of the UK Team.
The Tower of London was the venue for the main public announcement.
Squad training camps started immediately and Michael was at a camp almost every weekend from June right up to the week before departure for Canada in September. Michael also was selected to play for the Scotland rugby league team in the 2017 World Cup in July over 10 days in the south of France. Scotland played Italy and Spain in the group stages but failed to make the quarter finals. Scotland finally played a France select team before returning home.
For Michael the Invictus Games in Canada were an amazing experience. Michael made it into the finals for discus and shot, finishing 6th in discus and 5th in shot. Team UK made it through the prelims without losing a game in wheelchair basketball but unfortunately lost to Holland in the semifinal. In the bronze medal match against Denmark, Team UK was victorious. In sitting volleyball Team UK never lost a game in the prelims and also won their semi final. In the final, as we all saw on TV, Team UK played a strong team from Georgia and had to settle for a brilliant silver medal.
In November 2017 training camps for the 2018 Invictus Games in Sydney started. The number of athletes applying set new records for the UK Invictus. Michael attended trials for wheelchair tennis, wheelchair rugby, sitting volleyball and wheelchair basketball and supported endless training camps throughout 2018. BBC 1 is covering the Games from Australia at 19 30 every evening. Michael is a devoted family man.
Michael’s Games began with two days of sitting volleyball. Team UK made it through to the final where they met defending champions Georgia …. yet again. The outcome was the same as in Canada with Team UK lifting the silver medal. Michael made a significant contribution to a superb Team UK performance. The Georgians are a very powerful team. Well done Team UK and the only Scot has won team silver in his first event. Wheelchair rugby and basketball to follow…….come on Michael.
Richard Brickley MBE – President Disability Sport Fife