Alexander Gair is mighty proud of his 20-year career with the Australian Army.
From his very first role with the Royal Australian Artillery through to his final attachment with 2nd Commando Regiment, he has made the most of opportunities presented to him through sheer determination and strength of character.
Yet if you ask him about his greatest achievement, the answer is simple: being a positive role model and father to his daughter and two sons.
In fact, his motivation for nominating for Invictus Games 2025 was, in part, to show his children you can overcome obstacles in life and reach your goals without being defined by illness or injury.
"When I left the service in 2022, my mental health wasn't on track and my rehabilitation journey wasn't going well either," said Alex (43), who has injuries to his shoulders, hips, back and knees.
"I applied to Invictus to set myself training goals to work towards in order to improve physically and mentally.
"I also applied to be a role model for my kids; to be able to show them that you can accomplish whatever you want no matter the restrictions placed upon you."
As far as Sydney-based Alex is concerned, just making the Australian Invictus team means he has already ticked the box marked 'success' - well before the competition starts on February 8.
The ice hockey enthusiast, who has a history of involvement with rugby union, Brazilian jiu-jitsu and gym training, is set to compete in snowboarding, indoor rowing and sitting volleyball at the games.
'Being back in this environment is giving me the same sort of feelings I had when I was in the Army.'
Although he recalls never really picking up sport until he joined the Army, Alex, known as 'Foxy', admitted that being away from home nine months of the year on deployments made committing to a team sport virtually impossible.
So now, he is making the most of the opportunity and being once again connected with like-minded people.
"Being back in this environment is giving me the same sort of feelings I had when I was in the Army," Alex said.
"That camaraderie, that mateship, building those friendships in shared conditions.
"For most of my career I've been that person who trains on their own and competes on their own.
"Being a part of the team has given me something different. It's been fun and something I haven't really been a part of for a while.
"Making some new friends and getting back on track is what it's all about for me now. Everything after that - enjoying the time and celebrating everyone's accomplishments, both big and small - is just an added bonus."
The Invictus Games is an international adaptive multi-sport competition for former and current serving military personnel who have been wounded, injured or become ill during their military service.
Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler will be held from February 8 to 16. More than 500 competitors from 24 different countries are expected to attend the event, which for the first time in its history will include winter snow sports.
The ADF is partnering with Invictus Australia to support a team of 33 serving and former serving military members to participate.
