The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are continuing their visit in Canada and the couple are expected to meet more competitors and coaches on day two.
The three-day trip comes amid a busy week for Prince Harry and Meghan. On Monday, they launched their new Sussex.com website, a “one stop shop” for all their activities.
Invictus participants share insight on Harry and Meghan
Nigerian contestant Peacemaker Azuegbulam, who won a gold medal for powerlifting at the 2023 Dusseldorf games, spoke with HELLO! at the Whistler training camp. He gushed about Meghan joking that she was cheering on the Nigerian team at the previous games after her recent discovery that she was 43% Nigerian.
“It makes me feel good, makes me feel loved that they really care about team Nigeria,” he shared, and of meeting them the last time, added: “We met them, they said hi to us. They were happy that the Nigerian team was part of the Invictus Games. We were happy about the efforts being shown by them to bring the Invictus Games to the doorsteps of Nigeria.”
MORE: Watch Prince Harry try sit-skiing as Meghan Markle cheers him on during day one of Canada trip
Estonian contestant Rasmus Penno, who competed in the 2018 games in Sydney in indoor rowing, described the first 48 hours of the training camp as “fun!” and called Harry and Meghan “kind” from his meeting with them in 2018.
“It is really important,” he said of the Invictus Games. “[People] see how we support each other. When my family and friends get to sit by the track and watch what I’m doing, it gives me so much more to push myself.”
Catch up on what has happened so far on the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s Canada trip.
What happened on day one?
The first day saw Harry try sit-skiing at Olympic Station in Whistler as Meghan cheered her husband on. The Sussexes later toured the Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre.
HELLO!‘s Rebecca Lewis has shared her experience of being with the Duke and Duchess on a snowy mountain side in Whistler village, and how they spent time engaging with the different competitors.
SEE: Meghan Markle stuns in romantic red outfit for secret Valentine’s Day date with Prince Harry
Ivan Morera, a team US athlete, told HELLO!: “I believe Prince Harry understands the military personnel very well, because of his experience in Afghanistan and his willingness to put his life on the line for his country.”
On Friday, Harry is expected to give a speech in which he is likely to talk about the founding principles of the Games.
When did Prince Harry set up the Invictus Games?
Harry founded the Invictus Games in 2014 – an international adaptive multi-sport event in which wounded, injured or sick armed services personnel and veterans participate.
It celebrates the power of sport in recovery and how it can help, physically or psychologically, those suffering from injuries or illness.
The first event took place in London and since then has been held in Orlando in 2016, Toronto in 2017, Sydney in 2018, The Hague in 2022 and Dusseldorf in 2023.
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