Wheelchair rugby and international relationships were the real winners on day 6 of Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025.
The 10 members of Australia's Wheeling Diggers took on 4 intense games, leaving many of the team battered but not broken.
For Major Liz Daly, the sport is a lot of fun, but not necessarily natural for those who don't use chairs in day-to-day life.
"Playing wheelchair sports isn't natural for those of us who aren't in chairs normally, so you're trying to focus on wheeling and steering but then you've got a ball, you've got opposition, so it's something that's not instinctive unless you really practicing," the 39-year-old Wodonga resident said.
"Being in the chair makes it more inclusive by bringing in everyone. Sport isn't about denying or excluding people. It's all about inclusivity and letting everyone have a go."
Despite the team having little time to gel as a unit, they were as tight as they come, according to workhorse team member Jamie Smyth.
"Being around the team was my highlight of the day," he said. "Just an incredible bunch and at the end of that final buzzer it got a bit emotional because this is the last time around these guys and we left the court knowing that we gave everything.
"We've all got each other's backs. We'll always get around each other and lift up everyone's spirits."
Those spirits started the day high, with Australia kicking its campaign off against Nigeria, ticking off the first win of the day at Vancouver Convention Centre, 18-9.
Team Unconquered were next up, a team made up of competitors from a number of smaller nations who might not be able to field a full team on their own. Australia proved too strong for the Unconquered crew, finishing the game with a 17-5 win.
"The second game we just clicked and we all came off on a high," Major Daly said. "It was just good sport, good teamwork, good rugby. It was like we'd won the gold medal, we just came together."
With wins in both pool matches, Team Australia progressed on to the semi-finals, taking on Team UK. The reigning Invictus champions were always going to be tough to beat and went on to outclass the Wheeling Diggers 28-9, seeing the UK progress on to the gold medal match against France and the Aussies taking on Team USA for the bronze.
"We were absolutely gutted we lost the semi final but you wouldn't be able to tell because we just brushed ourselves off and just went out there," Major Daly said.
"We really pumped ourselves up and gave it everything."
The final match had both teams giving their absolute all. Team USA managed to edge ahead, sitting at 15-10 at halftime and following it through to end 27-20, securing the bronze medal for the USA. Meanwhile, France nabbed the gold medal over UK, winning 19-14.
Every game of the day was fought with passion and determination, bringing the wounded, injured and ill current and former military personnel from the 23 participating countries together through shared experiences.
For the women playing wheelchair rugby, there was an additional feeling of camaraderie.
"When there were females - because there were some teams that didn't have any females - we all took a moment before and after the game to give each other a hug and just be like, 'yeah the girls'," Major Daly said.
"The last game we played, they didn't have females but one of the US ladies came up and got me to get a photo with her baby girl.
"She said it was so good to see women out there playing sport. It was really shocking when she said 'we don't have females in our team and it's so good to see a female out there'.
"There's 2 things we have in common - we're in the military and we're females - but I think we all have that mutual kind of respect for each other because we understand that it's challenging at times as well."
As an aside, Team Australia also used the day to continue the tradition that has been in place since Invictus Games Sydney 2018: gifting a pair of Budgy Smugglers to Games patron Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex.
