Invictus Games Give Navy Veteran Sense Of Belonging

David Sanderson, a retired Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) logistics supply specialist, will head to the 2023 Invictus Games in Düsseldorf, Germany, after selection for the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) Invictus team lifted him from a low point in his life.

Mr Sanderson, from Glenfield in Auckland, joined the RNZN in 2008 and served for 14-and- a-half years before retiring in 2022.

It was a deployment on HMNZS Te Mana conducting counter piracy operations off the Coast of Somalia in 2013 that broke Mr Sanderson’s mental health.

“Things took a turn for the worse after I returned home from deployment. I isolated myself from friends and family. I had been home for around a week when my father contacted me worried I hadn’t reached out for a catch-up.

“The amazing thing was, when he called I was standing in the kitchen with a pen and paper. I was standing there wondering what I was going to say and to try and explain why I was going to do what I was thinking.

“When I answered his call I broke down and cried. He rushed around to look after me, and that began the long road to try to fix my mental health state,” he said.

Mr Sanderson said this was no small task because as he dug deeper into why he was thinking the way he was, it began to unravel years of mental health neglect, alcohol abuse, and not being true to himself.

“To this day I still struggle to stay grounded, but compared to how I was, I am much more level,” he said.

Mr Sanderson was encouraged to apply for the Games by the Warrant Officer of the Navy, and was selected for the 2020 team to compete at The Hague. However, the Covid-19 pandemic meant those Games were cancelled.

“I was asked if I had thought about applying for the Games, but I had never heard about it. After a short conversation with the Warrant Officer I applied, and the rest is history.

“Being a part of the team for the last three years has given me a huge sense of belonging. I have made some lifelong friends and I count myself extremely lucky to be able to be take part in something so special.”

He said that being part of a community where there is no judgement feels great.

“We are all there for a purpose. It’s much more than winning medals or going on a trip. We can truly be ourselves around one another and support each other when things aren’t going well.”

Opening up to speak about mental health is important for Mr Sanderson and he hopes that it will help others in the service. Mental health issues affect one in five New Zealanders over the age of 15, and most people will know someone who has been affected.

“If you want to change the world in some small way, even if it is to save one life it is important that people share their experiences. A little bit of courage can change someone’s entire life in a short period of time, and why wouldn’t that be worth it?” he said.

Mr Sanderson will compete in athletics (field, track, long jump), indoor rowing, and table tennis.

The sixth Invictus Games will take place in Düsseldorf from 9-16 September and will welcome around 500 competitors from more than 20 nations, to compete in 10 sporting disciplines. The NZDF is proud to represent New Zealand at the Games and is sending a contingent of 22 to compete.

The New Zealand Team is sponsored by Fulton Hogan, Dynasty Sport, The Ranfurly Veterans’ Trust, Sudima Hotels, and is supported by Veterans’ Affairs New Zealand.

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