Invictus team captains named
Former ADF personnel Doug Griffiths and Kaz Gladysz have been named team Australia co-captains for Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025, being held from February 8 to 16.
CAPTION: Invictus Games 2025 Team Australia captains, Caz Gladysz and Doug Griffiths proudly wear the new team polo shirt. Story by Flying Officer Tina Langridge. Photos by Flight Sergeant Christopher Dickson.
The pair will lead the 33-strong Australian contingent, which will participate in the international adaptive multi-sport competition for former and serving military personnel who have been wounded, injured or become ill during their service.
Mr Griffiths said he was honoured to lead his teammates.
He will compete in swimming, rowing, Nordic skiing and sitting volleyball events as he backs up for his second international event in eight months after attending the Warrior Games in Orlando, Florida, in June. He left the Royal Australian Navy in October after 36 years of service.
“I’m slightly taken aback that someone would bestow such a great opportunity on me, but I am quite honoured – very honoured actually,” Mr Griffiths said.
The sentiment was shared by Dr Gladysz, who will be making her adaptive sporting debut at the games in swimming, biathlon and wheelchair basketball.
“It was definitely a very nice surprise to receive the phone call about the role, but it’s also daunting,” Dr Gladysz said, whose journey to the games involved learning to walk again after significant back surgeries.
“I think just being selected for the team itself has been such an experience. To now be able to step up into this role with Doug and guide our teammates to help ensure we can all have the most amazing experience throughout this journey means so much to me.
“This will enhance an already special experience.”
For Mr Griffiths, who lives with stage-four lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma, a rare non-Hodgkin lymphoma variant, the new title will not change his immediate personal goals.
“My success will simply be being healthy enough to actually get on the plane,” Mr Griffiths said.
“I’ve always wanted to be the best teammate I could be and to support everybody else on their journeys – their successes, their highs and their lows – whether it’s their first games or not.
“I see this honour as just building on that opportunity for me, allowing me to actually give back to a program which has just been so life-changing for me, at the right time of my illness and my journey.”
More than 500 competitors from 24 nations will compete in a range of team and individual events.
Six winter adaptive sports will be included in the games for the first time: alpine skiing, snowboarding, biathlon, cross-country skiing, skeleton and wheelchair curling.
The ADF is partnering with Invictus Australia to support the Australian team’s participation.
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