Invictus Games

As the Winter Paralympics open today, the Invictus Games Foundation is excited to see former Invictus Games competitors taking their next step on their recovery journey to compete at Milano Cortina 2026.

These competitors exemplify how sport continues to play a central role in recovery, demonstrating their ongoing resilience. Whilst recovery from injury or illness looks different for each and every competitor, moving from the Invictus Games to the pinnacle of the Paralympics highlights the ongoing power of sport and elite performance as a tool for overcoming adversity.

Scott Meenagh from the United Kingdom is serving as Team GB’s flagbearer at today’s Opening Ceremony. Scott is a British Para Nordic skier and biathlete and a former British Army Parachute Regiment soldier. After losing both legs in Afghanistan, he embraced sport during rehabilitation, competing in Athletics and Indoor Rowing across the inaugural Invictus Games London 2014, Invictus Games Orlando 2016 and Invictus Games Toronto 2017. He has continued to use sport as part of his recovery journey moving into elite Nordic skiing, when he represented Great Britain at the 2018 and 2022 Winter Paralympics and won Britain’s first medal at the 2023 World Para Nordic Skiing Championships. He will compete at Milano Cortina 2026 and will serve as Team GB’s flagbearer at the Opening Ceremony, continuing the journey that began through adaptive sport and the Invictus Games more than a decade ago.

Team Australia has three alumni featured in their team: Matt Brumby, David Miln and Taryn Dickens. Matt Brumby is an Australian Para Nordic skier and former Royal Australian Navy sailor. After a spinal cord injury in 2001, he discovered adaptive sport and became co-captain of Team Australia at the Invictus Games Sydney 2018, winning multiple medals in Athletics. His Invictus Games experience played a key role in his development as an elite athlete.

Matt will compete in para biathlon and cross-country skiing at Milano Cortina 2026.

“The amazing thing about Biathlon is the contrast between really pushing yourself super hard with the ski section, then having to calm and ground yourself to focus to shoot targets. It’s all the elements we need as veterans and service people – push the body and then ground and calm, great for mindfulness.” Matt Brumby.

Lieutenant Commander David ‘Dave’ Miln is an Australian Para biathlete and cross-country skier and Royal Australian Navy veteran. Following significant injuries to his spine and legs in 2022, David competed at the Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025 in Biathlon, Nordic Skiing, Swimming and Wheelchair Rugby, and served as Team Australia’s flag bearer at the Opening Ceremony.

The Invictus Games were a key step in his progression to elite winter sport, as he has now been selected to compete in para biathlon and cross-country skiing at Milano Cortina 2026.

Able Seaman Taryn Dickens is a Vision Impaired Australian Para Nordic skier. She competed at the Invictus Games Düsseldorf 2023 in Cycling, Indoor Rowing and Powerlifting, which was her first time at an international multi-sports event. Her experience at the Invictus Games, where she served as co-captain for Team Australia, helped her transition into elite Nordic skiing.

Taryn will compete in para biathlon and cross-country skiing at Milano Cortina 2026.

“There’s never been a vision impaired Australian in the Paralympic Games for Nordic skiing or Biathlon – why not do something no one else has done?” Able Seaman Taryn Dickens

Georgian competitor Temuri Dadiani is a Para Nordic skier, competing in cross-country skiing at Milano Cortina 2026. Temuri was an active-duty soldier for the Republic of Georgia, until he sustained combat-related injuries in Afghanistan in 2011. That was when he discovered sports as part of his rehabilitation journey and would eventually go on to represent Georgia at the 2018 and 2022 Winter Paralympics. As part of his continued recovery, Temuri competed at the Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025 and will compete in para cross-country skiing, including the men’s sprint and men’s 10 km events in the sitting category at Milano Cortina 2026.

Home team Italy also have three Invictus Games alumni, with Marco Pisani, Giuseppe Spatola and Mattia dal Pastro competing at Milano Cortina 2026 in front of a home crowd.

Marco Pisani is an Italian Para Nordic skier competing in para biathlon and cross-country skiing. He is a former soldier who lost his left leg in an attack while on a mission in Iraq in 2019. Marco discovered the joy of competitive sport at the Invictus Games The Hague 2020, where he took part in numerous athletics events, an experience that inspired him to pursue further sports opportunities. He returned at the Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025, competing in Biathlon, before transitioning fully into winter sports and earning selection to represent Italy at Milano Cortina 2026.

Giuseppe Spatola is a two-time Invictus Games competitor, having competed at the Invictus Games Sydney 2018 and The Hague 2020. Giuseppe took part in Swimming and Rowing events and like Marco before him, flourished with winter sports and is now an elite Nordic skier competing in cross-country skiing and biathlon. He has competed internationally and will represent Italy at Milano-Cortina 2026.

Mattia dal Pastro is an Italian Para Nordic skier, who has been selected to be a part of Team Italy for Milano Cortina 2026. Mattia started his recovery journey through sport after losing the use of his right arm in a traffic accident and has competed at the Invictus Games The Hague 2020 and Vancouver Whistler 2025. Mattia has also been very active in the Invictus Community beyond the Games through the We Are Invictus platform. He has completed numerous opportunities provided by the Invictus Games Foundation including running the London Marathon, trekking Wild West Colorado and coming up post-Paralympics, he will be taking part in a cross-country skiing marathon in Norway as part of our Beyond the Games programme.

“Competing at the Invictus Games was a definitive turning point; it was the moment I stopped being a "patient" and became an "athlete" again. It was in Canada, amidst the snow and the incredible camaraderie of fellow veterans, that I truly realized my potential for elite winter sports. The Invictus Games provided a unique sanctuary where scars are badges of courage, and that experience gave me the momentum and confidence I needed to set my sights on the Paralympic stage.” - Mattia dal Pastro

Mattia is competing in cross-country skiing and biathlon at Milano Cortina 2026.

Hwankyung Lee will compete in Para Alpine skiing in the men’s giant slalom sitting and men’s slalom sitting events at Milano Cortina 2026. Lee was a Corporal in Republic of Korea’s Army before he sustained an injury to his leg that results in amputation. Lee previously represented the Republic of Korea at the Winter Paralympic Games in 2002, 2006 and 2010, and credits his experience at the Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025 with helping him return to the Paralympic stage after a 16-year absence. At the Invictus Games, Lee competed across multiple sports including alpine skiing, swimming, sitting volleyball, wheelchair curling and skeleton.

Rob Owen OBE, Deputy CEO of the Invictus Games Foundation, said, “For each Invictus Games competitor or participant in our beyond the Games programmes, recovery from injury or illness can look like seeking new employment opportunities, or reengagement with family members, or feeling more in control of one’s own future. Winning can be making it to the start line in the first place, and the goal is beating your own personal best. For others, their goal is to continue to strive to be the best in whatever sporting competition is out there. The Paralympics represents the best in sporting competition, and we will be cheering on all those who exemplify what it means to be Invictus.”