During his visit to campus, Patron of the Invictus Games Foundation Prince Harry delivered a speech to competitors wishing them luck in the selection process for the forthcoming Games, which take place in Orlando in May.
The Invictus Games is a multi-sport event open to all wounded or injured serving personnel and veterans.
Following the three-day selection process, running from Friday – Sunday, a selection panel will agree the team of 100 that will represent the UK at the Games.
World-class sporting facilities
Commenting on the visit and our hosting of the trials, Vice-President (Implementation) Steve Egan said: “It is a great honour for the University to welcome to campus hopefuls for this year’s Invictus Games and His Royal Highness Prince Harry.
“The focus of these Games really aligns closely with a number of our research themes and our strong links with disability sport and the British Paralympic Team. Over the recent past we have hosted a number of multi-sport national training camps here on campus and our health researchers are actively engaged in improving outcomes across disabilities and sport.
“The next three days will provide the athletes hoping to compete in Orlando a fantastic opportunity to compete in our world-class sporting facilities and I wish each of them every success.”
Martin Colclough OBE, Head of National Sports Recovery at Help for Heroes, added: “It has been fantastic to bring the UK trials for this year’s Invictus Games to the University of Bath, which this year are being delivered by a partnership between the Ministry of Defence, Help for Heroes and the Royal British Legion.
"There are very strong links between the University with Help for Heroes and the Ministry of Defence, and of course of the University offers a unique set of facilities not readily available elsewhere in the UK. We’re looking forward to an exciting three days.”
Impacts of world-leading health research
Across a number of different health-related themes, researchers from the University’s Department for Health are leading the way in disability sport and health.
Through our unique DisAbility Sport and Health initiative – whose research is supported by longstanding friend of the University Sue Whorrod – scientists from the Department are investigating the health and performance benefits of regular, physical activity across a range of disabilities.
This work ties closely with our exercise rehabilitation programme for military amputees.
Our new £5 million EPSRC-funded research Centre for the Analysis of Motion, Entertainment Research and Applications (CAMERA), involving researchers from the Departments of Computer Science and Health, is using motion capture technologies in new ways to develop assistive technologies, working alongside the Ministry of Defence.
PhD candidate focused on Invictus Games
Among other considerations for the selection process for the UK team, the panel will be considering those who will benefit, as part of their recovery and maintaining a healthy life, in participating and training for the Games.
PhD student within our Department for Health, Gareth Roberts, is focusing on just this issue within his studies. Gareth's three-year project will chart the experiences of those taking part in the Games in Orlando in order to see how the process of being involving helps with their rehabilitation and return to civilian life.
According to the latest Research Excellence Framework – which judges research quality in the HE sector – research from the University of Bath’s Department for Health was judged fourth nationally for impact. To find out more about our research performance across all areas see www.bath.ac.uk/research/performance.