:00:00. > :00:00.celebrate and celebrate the amazing achievements of these athletes. The
:00:00. > :00:10.Royals are taking their seat. Iwan why are you excited? I'm buzzing to
:00:11. > :00:15.be back here at the Queen Elizabeth Park. What a great opportunity for
:00:16. > :00:22.our Servicemen and women. They have done us proud as an nation. It will
:00:23. > :00:28.be brilliant. It looks as if everybody is now in position and the
:00:29. > :00:40.Opening Ceremony can begin with the National Anthem.
:00:41. > :01:50.The short version of the National Anthem, now the Invictus fanfare.
:01:51. > :02:01.RED ARROWS:. Incredible. You can see the trails of smoke. It's a hoax you
:02:02. > :02:05.will never ever forget. Dan, a beautiful sight? Extraordinary. I
:02:06. > :02:09.love it. The timing perfect of course. The British Armed Forces
:02:10. > :02:13.always get it right. How do these Games work then? We know there are
:02:14. > :02:23.13 countries competing. Over four days. What are we expecting? Nine
:02:24. > :02:29.different events. 416 athletes, athletics, archery, swimming, road
:02:30. > :02:33.cycling, wheelchair rugby, wheelchair basketball, powerlifting
:02:34. > :02:38.and indoor rowing. Everyone competing must have served in the
:02:39. > :02:42.army, Navy or the Air Force. They have different levels of injury, I
:02:43. > :02:48.don't like to say disability. It's about the ability they have got, not
:02:49. > :02:52.what they can do. They think, I have been inI spired by 2012 I will get
:02:53. > :02:56.out there and toy Maeve proud. They have been injured during service
:02:57. > :03:01.time. Some have been affected by illnesses. Athletes here have had
:03:02. > :03:05.cancer or multiple sclerosis, things have happened to them while serving.
:03:06. > :03:09.They have had to have served in Afghanistan and Iraq together. They
:03:10. > :03:13.have been invited to compete. You hear so many stories of grit and
:03:14. > :07:40.determination from the Services. There are
:07:41. > :07:48.determination from the Services. or 10. As you are a viewer of the
:07:49. > :07:53.One Show, we have a little gift. We have a cake for you. Thank you very
:07:54. > :07:57.much. Happy birthday. All the very best with it, Harry. Thank you,
:07:58. > :08:01.very, very much. We wish you all the best. It's really heavy. Something
:08:02. > :08:08.to keep you going. I know who will eat this. Not George! He is really
:08:09. > :08:14.lovely, isn't he? Down-to-earth. Harry will make a speech before the
:08:15. > :08:17.end of the Opening Ceremony we will hear from Michelle Obama, the First
:08:18. > :08:21.Lady. Plenty still to come this evening. Let us look at the medals
:08:22. > :08:26.here. This is what is on offer here at the Games. They have been
:08:27. > :08:34.designed by an injured servicemen, Harry Parker. There is an
:08:35. > :08:38.interesting quote from a very important poem, "I am the master of
:08:39. > :08:56.my faith"? It's part of the inspiration of these games. Invictus
:08:57. > :09:06.was a poem written by William Ernest Henley. He wrote this beautiful poem
:09:07. > :09:10.Invictus which means unconquered. Ed it has comes to articulate all the
:09:11. > :09:15.trials and tribulations, all the slings and arrows nature throws at
:09:16. > :09:21.you. It has inspired political leaders, Nelson Mandela used to
:09:22. > :09:27.quote it to his fellow prisoners and Barack Obama used it as part of his
:09:28. > :09:33.funeral speech for Nelson Mandela as well. It ends, "I'm the master of my
:09:34. > :09:38.fate, I'm the captain of my soul" it sums up the journey that all the
:09:39. > :09:42.people here have been on. It's a new chapter in many of theirs lives. You
:09:43. > :09:48.have plans for your life, suddenly one of these horrendous incidents
:09:49. > :09:54.happen and you go - what do I do for my life? Sport can help you refocus?
:09:55. > :10:00.It does. You can imagine them looking down in bed with their limbs
:10:01. > :10:03.gone, what can I do. Here they are putting on a Great Britain vest
:10:04. > :10:09.competing for their country and making the best out of a bad
:10:10. > :10:15.situation. Every Paralympian or serviceman you speak to don't dwell
:10:16. > :10:19.on what happens. Derek lost both legs, he says - it's just a scratch,
:10:20. > :10:22.I got away. He has a second chance. Their hearts will be pumping. The
:10:23. > :10:27.action starts tomorrow. I think it's brilliant for them to get the
:10:28. > :10:37.opportunity. Matt, pointing at the medals earlier, they are beautiful.
:10:38. > :10:40.What chances are there of Team GB sweeping the board? Harry seemed
:10:41. > :10:45.confident. If you see your team-mates come back with a medal,
:10:46. > :10:50.it makes it real. You go - can I look at your medal. The athlete will
:10:51. > :10:58.think - I trained as hard as they have. He has done it, why can't I.
:10:59. > :11:04.The home advantage will help. If we can get off to a good start,
:11:05. > :11:08.confidence will be high. Absolutely. Idris Elba has made some entrances
:11:09. > :11:15.on stage in his time. This is quite something. He played Nelson Mandela
:11:16. > :11:18.and he is about to recite the poem, Invictus. There he goes up to the
:11:19. > :11:24.podium. Out of the night that covers me,
:11:25. > :11:30.Black as the Pit from pole to pole, I thank whatever gods may be
:11:31. > :11:35.For my unconquerable soul. In the fell clutch of circumstance
:11:36. > :11:48.I have not winced nor cried aloud. Under the bludgeonings of chance
:11:49. > :11:59.my head is bloody, but unbowed. Beyond this place of wrath and tears
:12:00. > :12:04.looms the horror of the shade, And yet the menace of the years
:12:05. > :12:10.finds, and shall find, me unafraid. It matters not how strait the gate,
:12:11. > :12:13.how charged with punishments the scroll.
:12:14. > :12:35.I am the master of my fate: Being a Royal Marine Commando is the
:12:36. > :12:39.greatest thing in the world. I'd convinced all my family that the job
:12:40. > :12:42.I'm doing is probably the safest job in the battlefield. I loved it. I
:12:43. > :12:57.loved it. One in eight were getting killed or
:12:58. > :13:01.injured. But actually you look at it and you go there's a seven in eight
:13:02. > :13:07.chance I'll be alright. I'll take those odds! Bang, that was it. I
:13:08. > :13:16.thought, yeah, they have got me, I'm a gonna.
:13:17. > :13:29.I was blown up by an IED. Severely injured my left arm and left leg. My
:13:30. > :13:35.right leg was blown apart. Left frontal lobe, brain damage. I lost
:13:36. > :13:40.both of my legs above the knee. Bullet went in here and out here.
:13:41. > :13:45.Damaged my whole eye socket. Died twice on the evacuating helicopter.
:13:46. > :13:50.The idea came from Colorado Springs, the power of sport in rehabilitation
:13:51. > :13:55.is outstanding and the Warrior Games hit home to me. I spoke to some of
:13:56. > :13:59.these guys who said the first time they have ever tried swimming, but
:14:00. > :14:02.every time they jump in that pool, all their worries, it is like a
:14:03. > :14:05.clean slate. That is when I realised, you know what, a
:14:06. > :14:07.multi-sport international event for these men and women is what they
:14:08. > :14:17.need. Go! When you are injured, you are having
:14:18. > :14:20.to learn how to put your socks on, or you are having to learn how to
:14:21. > :14:24.cook food again, they are not things you chose to do. They have been
:14:25. > :14:29.forced upon you. Whereas, cycling was something that I chose to do. I
:14:30. > :14:32.rediscovered the chemical goodness of what exercise is and all that
:14:33. > :14:36.great stuff that it releases around you, but also the excitement and the
:14:37. > :14:40.drive it gives you when you are doing it to a standard where you
:14:41. > :14:45.realise, you know, I can compete in this and I have a reason to push
:14:46. > :14:49.myself again. It is a fire that's been relit in my life.
:14:50. > :14:56.Personally, I think the psychological side was the harder
:14:57. > :15:00.one for me. Injuries, which people can't see, are sometimes worse. In
:15:01. > :15:05.the early days, it was pretty bad. You end up going down this spiral,
:15:06. > :15:09.the depression - it is dark and quite dangerous. Not good.
:15:10. > :15:13.You try and not make a big deal out of it, when, really, it is tearing
:15:14. > :15:21.you up inside. Sport really played a massive part
:15:22. > :15:27.in getting me out of that rut and breaking that cycle and bringing me
:15:28. > :15:32.back up that spiral. I wasn't fully aware there was a huge part of me
:15:33. > :15:37.still missing and that huge part was the part that the Marines gave me.
:15:38. > :15:42.It is the extraordinary experience you have with the people you share
:15:43. > :15:49.it with that make you sort of invincible to change. This is
:15:50. > :15:52.massive now. It's gone from a small bunch of guys, to nations competing
:15:53. > :15:59.against each other. The Americans are the ones we want to beat! There
:16:00. > :16:03.is no such word as "can't" anymore. Disability proves that to you, it
:16:04. > :16:07.makes you do it. There is nothing worse than somebody saying you can't
:16:08. > :16:09.do something. Especially to a Marine because they will go, "OK, watch
:16:10. > :16:29.this!" EDDIE BUTLER: Those who can, those
:16:30. > :16:33.who say "I am" will make their entrance pretty soon. First, we are
:16:34. > :16:40.going to have a Parade of the Services. It will led by the Naval
:16:41. > :16:54.contingent, personnel drawn from across the Navy, sailors and
:16:55. > :17:02.submariners. The men of the Grenadier Guards and behind them,
:17:03. > :17:18.the Queen's Colour Squadron of the Royal Air Force.
:17:19. > :17:38.The Red Coats of the Grenadier Guards. It was the old fighting
:17:39. > :17:41.uniform, thickly made. It was less likely to cause infection on the
:17:42. > :18:05.battlefields. The Queen's Colour Squadron, a
:18:06. > :18:07.fully-capable combat unit, who have been deployed on operations to Iraq
:18:08. > :18:22.and Afghanistan. And the job of the Colour Squadron
:18:23. > :18:30.has been to guard the Queen's Colour of the Royal Air Force.
:18:31. > :18:43.Top of the screen, the athletes of the 13 nations here at the Invictus
:18:44. > :18:48.Games wait to come into the arena. Afghanistan lead the way - six
:18:49. > :18:52.athletes representing the Afghan Armed Forces.
:18:53. > :19:30.Behind Afghanistan come Australia. 36 serving and former members of the
:19:31. > :19:41.Australian Navy, Army and Air Force are here competing. The team captain
:19:42. > :19:46.is Curtis McGrath, who lost both legs in an IED in Afghanistan two
:19:47. > :19:55.years ago. Two years later on, this year, he's just set a world record
:19:56. > :20:03.in the Canoe Sprint World Championships in Moscow.
:20:04. > :20:17.158 Canadian soldiers died in Afghanistan. And over 2,000 were
:20:18. > :20:31.wounded. Alongside me is Clare.
:20:32. > :20:36.CLARE BALDING: The flag carriers are all members of the cadets from
:20:37. > :20:41.across Greater London, so they have a role to play as well in the
:20:42. > :20:45.ceremonial side of things. The Danish team there looking
:20:46. > :20:47.enthusiastic. I think there is a real feeling here of joy, the joy of
:20:48. > :21:00.competition. Which contrasts with what they have
:21:01. > :21:03.been through. There are the obvious signs of injuries and wounds from
:21:04. > :21:08.the battlefield, but also there are people who have been through
:21:09. > :21:12.sickness and illness, and mental trauma, too. Many of them talking
:21:13. > :21:18.about those mental scars being deeper than the physical scars.
:21:19. > :21:19.Estonia are followed by France, the French flag there. They have a team
:21:20. > :21:42.of 18. The Georgian team - six wounded
:21:43. > :21:48.veterans. Just about all of them began their sports as a direct
:21:49. > :22:05.result of these Invictus Games. Behind Georgia, the flag of Germany.
:22:06. > :22:13.21 athletes from the German Armed Forces.
:22:14. > :22:26.I should mention Italy and the Netherlands also. And behind the
:22:27. > :22:37.Germans we will see - we will see in a moment - Italy.
:22:38. > :22:49.The Italians, specialists, they say, in archery and swimming. You can see
:22:50. > :22:53.there the pride and the relief, in a way, of Prince Harry. For him, this
:22:54. > :22:56.has been a huge pressure, organising a major event, hoping people will
:22:57. > :23:01.buy tickets, hoping everything will go through smoothly. To see this
:23:02. > :23:06.parade of athletes is a massively proud moment for him. The Prince of
:23:07. > :23:10.Wales is patron of Combat Stress and he said, "We have a profound and
:23:11. > :23:22.essential duty to care for those who carry the invisible scars of
:23:23. > :23:36.conflict." There, the motto "I am" from the middle of "I am Invictus"
:23:37. > :23:43.or "Invictus Games" actually. New Zealand.
:23:44. > :23:59.New Zealand will be particularly strong at wheelchair rugby, I
:24:00. > :24:11.suspect. They say the All Blacks are their inspiration. A huge cheer for
:24:12. > :24:14.Team USA. It is the Warrior Games of the USA that inspired Prince Harry
:24:15. > :24:17.to launch these Invictus Games in London.
:24:18. > :24:35.They have the second largest team - 98 athletes in the USA team, beaten
:24:36. > :24:41.only by the team from the Host Nation, Great Britain, who will be
:24:42. > :24:48.coming in last. To give you an idea of the scale of the long conflict in
:24:49. > :24:52.Afghanistan, over 100,000 US military personnel have been
:24:53. > :24:54.diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.
:24:55. > :25:09.The biggest cheer for the team of the United Kingdom. 130 serving and
:25:10. > :25:14.retired servicemen and women make up the British Armed Forces team for
:25:15. > :25:25.these Invictus Games. It is the largest-ever British military sports
:25:26. > :25:36.team. The fly-past by the helicopters, the Apache helicopter.
:25:37. > :25:41.673 Squadron, it is the Army Air Corps, the Apache, and the RAF has
:25:42. > :25:59.the Merlin behind it. It is quite a poignant moment for the Merlin. It
:26:00. > :26:04.is led by Pip Harding and this is his final sortee on the Merlin. As
:26:05. > :26:08.they fly above us, the ground shudders. There is the mascot for
:26:09. > :26:14.the United Kingdom team, that is a labrador called Fire. She is, or
:26:15. > :26:16.was, an IED detection dog. I will be speaking to the man who takes care
:26:17. > :26:32.of her in a moment or two. We will be hearing from the UK
:26:33. > :26:39.captain Dave Henson later. A great reception for the team led by Fire.
:26:40. > :26:44.It was interesting watching the documentary the other night, how
:26:45. > :26:48.much they talked about the camaraderie being back in a team,
:26:49. > :26:51.about how important it was to feel that they were achieving something
:26:52. > :26:55.and pushing themselves beyond their limits and that there would be no
:26:56. > :26:58.self-pity and they didn't expect pity from anybody else. This is
:26:59. > :27:02.about being the strongest they can be. It is about doing the best they
:27:03. > :27:05.can do. It is about being part of a team.
:27:06. > :27:09.Having come through the rehabilitation process their
:27:10. > :27:12.competitive spirit has been triggered. They are serious, serious
:27:13. > :27:37.sporting people now. The Queen's Colour Squadron will
:27:38. > :27:43.make a little room in the arena, followed the Grenadier Guards and
:27:44. > :27:49.the Royal Navy. There is just a require am to Empey some space in
:27:50. > :28:06.the arena because we are going to have two demonstrations. -- Empey.
:28:07. > :28:07.Empty. If I AM" is" The theme tonight, it will be spelt out very
:28:08. > :28:38.clearly for one and all to see. The Service Band also splits into
:28:39. > :28:42.two. The Royal Marine Band Collingwood. And the Band of the
:28:43. > :28:54.Irish Guards. They go off at one end. Meanwhile, the RAF come down
:28:55. > :29:00.bottom left. They have more to play. Here come the cadet force, 17,000
:29:01. > :29:27.cadets of the three services within the M25 alone.
:29:28. > :30:14.APPLAUS There we are I AM" " are the words. Have we ever seen such an
:30:15. > :30:18.inspiring parade. Prince Harry looking very proud. When the
:30:19. > :30:24.helicopters came over the studio it was vibrating. To see it come
:30:25. > :30:27.together so well. Everybody seems so proud. That is the point. To see the
:30:28. > :30:32.faces of those individuals that have given so much for their country.
:30:33. > :30:36.Now, we get the chance to show our appreciation for everything that
:30:37. > :30:41.they have given really. It really is incredibly emotional. Dan, over the
:30:42. > :30:44.next few days we will see various examples of military life. There is
:30:45. > :30:48.a very important ceremony that will take place tomorrow? Of course, in
:30:49. > :30:54.many ways what we are celebrating here is people that have survived,
:30:55. > :30:57.carrying terrible emotional and physical scars, they survived. Lots
:30:58. > :31:00.of their comrades didn't. Tomorrow we will have a ceremony to remember
:31:01. > :31:09.those who didn't make it. Who aren't here. This is the Drumhead? In the
:31:10. > :31:12.old days they pile up the drums, make a make-shift alar, where ever
:31:13. > :31:15.the British forces were, there you go. Pictures of here. A
:31:16. > :31:20.commemoration to remember the fallen. Tomorrow is the 13th
:31:21. > :31:24.anniversary of 9/11. That event has led to such conflict around the
:31:25. > :31:28.world. It's a particularly special day to remember that. It's on before
:31:29. > :31:32.the Games. People should come early and watch what is a classic, British
:31:33. > :31:36.military ceremony achl key part of British life. This is the thing.
:31:37. > :31:41.Lots of people will sit at home wanting to come down to the Park to
:31:42. > :31:45.experience the Games for themselves. Are there tickets available still?
:31:46. > :31:48.Yes. Some are available for the team sports events, Friday, Saturday and
:31:49. > :31:52.Sunday, for the morning session. If you buy a ticket for the family you
:31:53. > :31:57.can come down and see more than one session. If you go to the website
:31:58. > :32:02.all the information is there. Just come down. I think if, if anything,
:32:03. > :32:06.tonight has shown us, and everyone at home, how important these games
:32:07. > :32:09.are. Our chance to thank our servicemen and women for everything
:32:10. > :32:14.they have done for this country. Some of those events will take place
:32:15. > :32:21.at the Lee Valley Stadium? Yes and the Copper Box and the venues here.
:32:22. > :32:27.Clare eluded to it. She is with somebody who played an important
:32:28. > :32:37.role in the Athletes' Parade. I promised we would meet the mascot of
:32:38. > :32:42.the UK Team. Here is Fire. Colonel Neil Smith, you are her protector.
:32:43. > :32:47.What was her job? She was trained to work out in front of the infantry
:32:48. > :32:53.and detect IEDs to stop people being killed and injured. How many dogs
:32:54. > :32:56.work in the armed forces? 1,100 dogs across all the agencies. 350 have
:32:57. > :33:03.served in Afghanistan over the last few years. She is now retired. If we
:33:04. > :33:07.turn her around. You can see why. She had bad damage down this side.
:33:08. > :33:11.You can see the scarring, what happened? In she was doing her job.
:33:12. > :33:17.He was indicating on a device. It detonated. She was badly injured.
:33:18. > :33:21.She was recovered back to Camp Bastion and looked after by the vets
:33:22. > :33:25.and medical staff and evacuated back to the UK where she made an
:33:26. > :33:29.excellent recovery. Dog owners will understand when I ask this question.
:33:30. > :33:34.Do you think she is enjoying having a role this evening? I think she is.
:33:35. > :33:38.When we arrived this afternoon, she was enthusiastic. She has a high
:33:39. > :33:45.drive. It's somewhere new and exciting. She loves meeting people,
:33:46. > :33:48.new smells, new places. And she has really enjoyed it. You can tell a
:33:49. > :33:55.dog trained in the armed forces. Gunfire going off, she barely reacts
:33:56. > :34:00.at all expect to become more alert, other than what is that, I'm into
:34:01. > :34:04.protection mode Interested, but not frightened. I hope she enjoys her
:34:05. > :34:08.retirement. An important role for Fire at the ceremony tonight. Thank
:34:09. > :34:12.you. You are welcome. You thank you very Thank you, Clare much. . You
:34:13. > :34:17.said the same about the gunfire and the dog. It goes to show how good
:34:18. > :34:21.her rehab has been she is not stressed to be around everything
:34:22. > :34:24.going on at the moment. Testament to those who have been part of her
:34:25. > :34:29.recovery. Many of the competitors will have been through a similar
:34:30. > :34:39.journey from injury to recovery. Behind them is a medical team who
:34:40. > :34:44.can turn tragedy into hope. Every selfman and woman fighting for their
:34:45. > :34:51.country the chance of returning home with life-changing injuries is an
:34:52. > :34:56.all too real possibility. In 2009 my battalion was sent to Afghanistan.
:34:57. > :34:59.Sangin was by far and away the most dangerous place in Afghanistan at
:35:00. > :35:07.the time. We had a fire fight with the enemy. My vehicle struck an IED.
:35:08. > :35:14.Both heals were smashed in the blast and my left arm was snapped in half.
:35:15. > :35:17.The medical emergency response team came, you knew when you were on that
:35:18. > :35:23.helicopter that you would be OK. After being admitted to the hospital
:35:24. > :35:26.at Camp Bastion in Afghanistan, the surgical team were preparing for his
:35:27. > :35:32.arrival at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham. We receive a
:35:33. > :35:37.signal here advising us of the incident. We are then able to be
:35:38. > :35:41.responsive. Soldiers injured in Afghanistan usually arrive back at
:35:42. > :35:46.Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham, within 30 to 36-hours
:35:47. > :35:48.from the time of injury. A long history of admitting military
:35:49. > :35:55.personnel at this hospital, means it's now at the cutting-edge of
:35:56. > :36:00.treating complex trauma injuries. I had some minor surgery done on my
:36:01. > :36:08.left foot. Eight bolts and a plate. Unfortunately, infection kicked in.
:36:09. > :36:12.March 30th, 2010, we amputated the left leg. It was definitely the
:36:13. > :36:18.right decision. One of the best places for injured servicemen and
:36:19. > :36:21.women to recover is here at a military rehabilitation centre in
:36:22. > :36:25.Surrey called Headley Court. The service we provide here is different
:36:26. > :36:28.to what you will find anywhere else, with it being a military
:36:29. > :36:33.environment, people push themselves significantly harder. They are used
:36:34. > :36:38.to being pushed to their ultimate levels. I was injured in Helmand
:36:39. > :36:43.Province, Afghanistan. Unfortunately, we drove over and
:36:44. > :36:47.initiated an IED. At the time, I suffered amputation of the lower
:36:48. > :36:52.left leg. On return to Birmingham, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, we decided
:36:53. > :36:57.to amputate the right one as well. Stu progressed well. He came in with
:36:58. > :37:02.multiple injuries. Multiple amputations. He had a huge amount to
:37:03. > :37:05.contend with. With the prosthetic legs there are techniques and
:37:06. > :37:09.procedure you have to do. When you are going up the stairs, you need to
:37:10. > :37:14.create a kind of left flick with the knee. It's quite difficult trying to
:37:15. > :37:19.flick an imagery piece of paper under your foot to get the knee to
:37:20. > :37:30.flick and raise it up to the next level. You have to be po potentially
:37:31. > :37:36.more fit than you were pre-injury to get anywhere near the same function.
:37:37. > :37:40.Sport has proved key in helping injured servicemen and women both
:37:41. > :37:45.physically and mentally during their recovery. Both Stewart and Tony will
:37:46. > :37:51.be representing the British team at the Invictus Games. I want to push
:37:52. > :37:59.myself and push others to achieve everything that we can possibly
:38:00. > :38:04.achieve. We will be back in the arena very shortly as the King's
:38:05. > :38:13.Troop will be in there. Before that, we have two captains, captain of the
:38:14. > :38:17.UK team and the USA team as well we have Captain David Henson and
:38:18. > :38:22.Sergeant Major Chris Self. The last time we saw you Dave was six months
:38:23. > :38:26.ago at the launch. You have been made Captain of Team GB, you will
:38:27. > :38:29.lead us to victory. It is going to happen. Prince Harry was very
:38:30. > :38:35.certain earlier on. Are you feeling the pressure? Yes. There is a lot of
:38:36. > :38:39.pressure out here. The guys have worked hard to be here and so hard
:38:40. > :38:43.over the last six months to get themselves fit and ready to compete.
:38:44. > :38:47.At a high level of competition. Being in charge of them all, I
:38:48. > :38:50.suppose, and responsible for leading it and keeping the morale up over
:38:51. > :38:54.the course of the next four days is tough. The guys are ready. They do
:38:55. > :38:59.it themselves. A proud moment for you, no doubt? Hugely proud. I have
:39:00. > :39:03.been involved in the process for a year now. Emotional today. Prince
:39:04. > :39:07.Harry was inspired by the Warrior Games, which you have competed at.
:39:08. > :39:11.How many times have you been at the Warrior Games? Two years. How do you
:39:12. > :39:15.think this will compare over here? Have you spent much time in Great
:39:16. > :39:18.Britain? No, I have been to Great Britain before. This is my first
:39:19. > :39:23.trip to London. OK. What do you make of it? Welcome. It's a great city.
:39:24. > :39:29.You have, obviously, things that we can see that aren't in America. Like
:39:30. > :39:35.thousand-year-old buildings. It's unique to the world. And how this
:39:36. > :39:39.compares so far, this is huge. This is a very big event that Prince
:39:40. > :39:44.Harry has put together in a short time period. It's just amazing the
:39:45. > :39:49.support and the attention that we're getting. We have got a lot of faith,
:39:50. > :39:54.as we said, in Team GB. We are a strong bunch. What are the chances
:39:55. > :40:00.of Team USA getting some medals? Are you confident? So, I mean, it's good
:40:01. > :40:05.that you are rooting for the home team... You should have confidence
:40:06. > :40:16.in your home team. I will tell you that USA brought their A-game, just
:40:17. > :40:20.like Team team Great Britain. You are in peak condition. As have the
:40:21. > :40:26.athletes from the USA and the other countries. USA doesn't get used to
:40:27. > :40:30.losing much. Fighting talk. Those people that saw the documentary the
:40:31. > :40:34.other night. It's a remarkable story of yours. What do you hope to get
:40:35. > :40:38.out of this personally? You said, didn't you, you put yourself under a
:40:39. > :40:42.lot of pressure for the 200 m? Yeah, I really did. For me personally, I
:40:43. > :40:47.want another personal best in the 200 m. I have worked so hard, me and
:40:48. > :40:51.my coach, Roger, over the last 12 months to get to this stage ready to
:40:52. > :40:55.compete at a high level. That, for me, in terms of competition, is all
:40:56. > :41:00.that I want. I want to be able to go out and show how hard I've been
:41:01. > :41:05.working. For me, the whole reason I got involved with these games in the
:41:06. > :41:09.first place, from speaking to Prince Harry all those many months ago, is
:41:10. > :41:12.to raise awareness of the long-term impact of these kind of injuries on
:41:13. > :41:18.these servicemen and women's lives. It is serious. It needs someone to
:41:19. > :41:22.talk out and be willing to push the stuff through. Hopefully, I can be
:41:23. > :41:27.an example to them, if they will let me be it, and show them what can be
:41:28. > :41:32.achieved. It's not easy to run with no knees and no ankles. Exactly.
:41:33. > :41:37.Good luck to you both, as captains, we hope you lead your teams to
:41:38. > :41:41.victory. Especially you, Dave! What is it like to look at these
:41:42. > :41:45.pictures, the King's Troop are in the arena. What is it like seeing
:41:46. > :41:51.the services come together for this event? Fantastic. I got here quite
:41:52. > :41:57.early. I got to the Olympic Park at 5.00pm. I saw people turning up, the
:41:58. > :42:03.public support. Everyone is wearing military kit. People are supporting
:42:04. > :42:07.the guys. At one point I broke down in tears when I saw the Australian
:42:08. > :42:11.families. Seeing the support that their husbands, wives are getting in
:42:12. > :42:17.public. It it's sos emotional being here now and watching this delivery.
:42:18. > :42:19.We will hand over to Eddie Butler in the commentary box to talk us
:42:20. > :42:23.through what is going on here. EDDIE BUTLER: Bert leads the way
:42:24. > :42:41.forward. Royal Salute, carry swords. Carry
:42:42. > :43:48.swords. Cadets are on hand to disengage the
:43:49. > :43:56.guns. And face them away from the Royal Party.
:43:57. > :44:12.And the horses clear out of the way, too!
:44:13. > :44:58.We replicate what went on 100 years ago. Arrive quickly, fire quickly,
:44:59. > :45:30.and clear out quickly. Prince of Wales, the Duchess of
:45:31. > :45:50.Cornwall enjoying the final gallop, up the arena, and away to safety.
:45:51. > :45:56.Leaving Jonathan Edwards in the peace and calm. Even with the odd
:45:57. > :46:00.hitch, nobody does pomp and ceremony like us! There are lots of special
:46:01. > :46:06.people tonight, but the most important people are the athletes. I
:46:07. > :46:08.have several with me. Captain Tony Harris, how proud were you to walk
:46:09. > :46:13.out with the British team? Incredible. The support from the
:46:14. > :46:18.public has been incredible. It is that support that allows us to go
:46:19. > :46:23.and compete for our countries and make the most of what happened to
:46:24. > :46:26.us. Sitting volleyball for you, excited? Absolutely. Prince Harry
:46:27. > :46:33.has given me a great opportunity to hit people in the face with the
:46:34. > :46:39.ball! The fact it could be the Aussies, it is even better! You are
:46:40. > :46:44.competing for the Netherlands team. What is your strongest event?
:46:45. > :46:48.Sitting volleyball. How important is it for the Netherlands and the Armed
:46:49. > :46:53.Forces in the Netherlands to be here at the Invictus Games? It has been
:46:54. > :46:59.very important to meet other countries and to share that with
:47:00. > :47:03.family and friends. Tony, a quick word for Prince Harry. This is his
:47:04. > :47:08.idea? Your Royal Highness, on behalf of all the nations, thank you so
:47:09. > :47:13.much for giving us this opportunity. We really respect and appreciate it.
:47:14. > :47:17.Thank you. Well said. Clare, over to you.
:47:18. > :47:29.I'm sitting next to an ex-member of the Australian Royal Navy. It is an
:47:30. > :47:32.honour to be here. Is this bigger and better than you anticipated? It
:47:33. > :47:39.is more than I could have imagined. It is fantastic. Great to have you
:47:40. > :47:42.here. A huge welcome from us. From Team USA, this is captain Sarah
:47:43. > :47:47.Evans. What are you most looking forward to? I am looking forward
:47:48. > :47:53.coming together as a nation and representing Team USA. Can I just
:47:54. > :47:57.mention over here, the youngest member of the British team, that is
:47:58. > :48:03.Danielle, who has been so good when all the guns have been going off.
:48:04. > :48:10.Hi, Dani! I should say Team Australia! Apologies. We have just
:48:11. > :48:22.heard from the First Lady of the USA. This is from the REAL First
:48:23. > :48:27.Lady. Hello, everyone. Some of the most inspiring moments have been
:48:28. > :48:31.when I have met injured soldiers. You tell me you are not going to
:48:32. > :48:35.walk again, you are going to run. I have seen that resilience and drive
:48:36. > :48:40.first-hand at the Warrior Games here in the United States. I couldn't be
:48:41. > :48:44.more thrilled that the spirit of those Games is now on display across
:48:45. > :48:51.the pond at the first-ever Invictus Games. So, to all of the competitors
:48:52. > :48:55.here today, I want you to know how incredible you are. You are
:48:56. > :48:59.inspiring all of us, especially our young people. You are inspiring them
:49:00. > :49:04.to believe that if we dig deeper, if we work harder, if we confront the
:49:05. > :49:09.adversity in our own lives, with just a fraction of the courage you
:49:10. > :49:15.show every day, that there is nothing we can't achieve. To all the
:49:16. > :49:20.family members and care-givers in the audience, your courage and
:49:21. > :49:24.support doesn't go unnoticed either. These heroes wouldn't be here today
:49:25. > :49:29.without you. So I want to thank every one involved with the Invictus
:49:30. > :49:33.Games, especially the Royal Foundation of the Duke and Duchess
:49:34. > :49:38.of Cambridge and Prince Harry for sharing these stories of strength
:49:39. > :49:48.and determination with the world. And while I can't hide that I'm
:49:49. > :49:51.hoping Team USA brings home a few golds, we are so inspired by your
:49:52. > :49:58.example. Good luck everybody and have fun out there. It is my
:49:59. > :50:01.pleasure to introduce someone whose dedication to troops, veterans and
:50:02. > :50:04.their families have driven the creation of these Games and someone
:50:05. > :50:10.whose visit to the White House last year made a group of military
:50:11. > :50:12.families pretty excited. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome His Royal
:50:13. > :50:37.Highness, Prince Harry. over the past eight years, I have
:50:38. > :50:40.witnessed the whole cycle of life-changing injury, evacuating
:50:41. > :50:44.soldiers and local Afghans to hospital, flying home from
:50:45. > :50:48.Afghanistan with some of those critically injured, meeting others
:50:49. > :50:51.in hospital coming to terms with life-changing injuries and, finally,
:50:52. > :50:56.trying to keep up with 12 wounded veterans on our way to the South
:50:57. > :50:59.Pole. I can only begin to imagine how challenging the journey of
:51:00. > :51:05.recovery is, but the admiration I have for these men and women, to
:51:06. > :51:10.move beyond their injuries, is limitless. Last year, through the
:51:11. > :51:14.Royal Foundation, I visited the Warrior Games in the United States,
:51:15. > :51:18.seeing people who only months earlier had been told they will
:51:19. > :51:23.never walk again and now winning medals in front of their family and
:51:24. > :51:27.friends was breathtaking. I knew that anyone would be inspired by
:51:28. > :51:31.what these men and women had achieved, not just other servicemen
:51:32. > :51:37.and women, but all those adjusting to life post-injury. Each of them
:51:38. > :51:43.have come such a long way, even making it to the start line is a
:51:44. > :51:49.huge achievement. Their stories are amazing, as they are unique.
:51:50. > :51:55.However, they all share one thing - sport. Sport has been the vehicle
:51:56. > :52:00.for their recovery allowing them to channel their passion into what can
:52:01. > :52:05.be achieved rather than what can't. No longer are these inspirational
:52:06. > :52:10.men and women defined by their injuries, but as athletes,
:52:11. > :52:15.competitors and team-mates. Over the next four days, we will see some
:52:16. > :52:19.truly remarkable achievements. For some of those taking part, this will
:52:20. > :52:23.be a stepping stone to elite sport, but for others, it will mark the end
:52:24. > :52:30.of a chapter in their recovery. And the beginning of a new one. Either
:52:31. > :52:35.way, you can be sure that everyone who takes part on the track, pool or
:52:36. > :52:41.field of play will be giving it their all and I have no doubt that
:52:42. > :52:45.lives will be changed this weekend. It gives me great pleasure to
:52:46. > :52:54.welcome the 13 nations to London and to say how delighted I am that many
:52:55. > :53:00.of you have been joined by your families. The British public support
:53:01. > :53:02.for our servicemen and women has been exceptional and I know they
:53:03. > :53:08.will show you the same over the coming days. Finally, I would like
:53:09. > :53:14.to thank all of you for the tremendous example that you have
:53:15. > :53:19.set. Your stories move, inspire and humble us. You prove that anything
:53:20. > :53:21.is possible if you have the will. Welcome to the Games. Welcome to
:53:22. > :53:23.Invictus. And now the world premiere of Chris
:53:24. > :53:53.Martin's Invictus Anthem. MUSIC: Invictus Anthem
:53:54. > :56:24.By Chris Martin # Out of the night that covers me
:56:25. > :56:36.# Black as the pit from pole to pole # I thank whatever Gods may be
:56:37. > :56:42.# For my unconquerable soul # In the full clutch of circumstance
:56:43. > :56:48.# I have not winced nor cried aloud. #
:56:49. > :56:52.STUDIO: What a start to what promises to be four days of
:56:53. > :56:56.competition. You can see the full event from 8.00pm tomorrow night. We
:56:57. > :57:03.will leave you with the rest of this glorious song. Good night.
:57:04. > :57:25.Hello, I'm Ellie Crisell with a quick update.
:57:26. > :57:28.David Cameron says he'd be "heartbroken" if Scotland left the