Team Australia's incredible Invictus Games 2025 campaign has officially concluded after an inspiring and intense nine-day international competition.
The 33-strong contingent, alongside over 100 family members and friends, coaches and staff, has finally touched back down on Australian soil after a successful adaptive sporting campaign, safely transported by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF).
For many of the competitors and their families, the flights to and from Canada marked a thrilling first-time experience flying aboard a military aircraft.
Twelve-year-old Riley Gladysz was one of the passengers who will long remember the unique and memorable journey courtesy of RAAF's KC-30A aircraft.
A self-professed aircraft enthusiast with a passion for World War I and II aircraft, he was thrilled to fly military style, with the experience leaving a lasting impression.
"It was awesome. I loved it," said Riley, whose mother, Kaz Gladysz, a former RAAF radiographer turned doctor, served as the team's co-captain alongside Navy veteran Doug Griffiths.
"With normal airliners, it's just an airline, but when you get to actually do a military one, it's military - they do things differently. It's just cool."
During the flight, Riley had the chance to sit in the cockpit for the landing, an experience he described as a highlight.
"(The cockpit) is just like any other cockpit. It's flashing lights, Christmas lights. It looks awesome. And if you take a close look at everything, you actually see what it is and understand it," he explained.
Flashing lights aside, the enormity of the occasion was not lost on Riley, who acknowledged the privilege of travelling on board a military craft as a civilian.
"It's pretty special that we got to get on a RAAF flight for the Invictus Games," he said.
"It was a really nice addition to Invictus because we're flying a military aircraft and the event's about the military and wounded militray people."
The honour of transporting our Invictus warriors was also shared by the crew aboard the KC-30A, according to Leading Aircraftwoman Lily Cooper, a crew attendant with No. 33 Squadron, who played a role in ensuring the Australian passengers had a comfortable flight.
Based at Amberley in Queensland, No. 33 Squadron is the RAAF's strategic transport and air-to-air refuelling squadron, tasked with long-distance flights and essential military operations.
"We are so proud of how they performed," said Leading Aircraftwoman Cooper, reflecting on the team's efforts.
"It feels very important to be able to help the Invictus Games guys. It's such a rewarding experience to be a part of this team and get them where they needed to go for their Games. It's really been quite a lovely experience."
The flight to Vancouver also gave the passengers a rare and extraordinary view of the aircraft's refuelling capabilities.
"We can refuel pretty much all the aircraft that we own," Leading Aircraftwoman Cooper proudly shared.
"It was an amazing experience for everyone to see and enjoy, something not a lot of people in Australia will ever get to see firsthand."
The Aussie team of serving and former serving military members joined more than 500 competitors from 24 countries around the world to contest 11 different adaptive sports at this year's Invictus Games. For the first time since the inaugural Games were held in London in 2014, the event featured six adaptive winter sports.
Team Australia' Invictus journey was supported by the Australian Defence Force and Invictus Australia.
