It was a day of mixed emotions for Team Australia's 13-strong sitting volleyball squad at Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025, as the team experienced both thrilling victories and a heartbreaking near-miss.
The Aussies started day 8 of their sporting campaign with a bang, securing a hard-fought 2-1 tie-breaker victory over the host nation, Canada, in their first pool match.
The team's quick reflexes and sharp teamwork set the tone for a memorable contest, with every point fought for with fierce determination.
Team Australia's momentum continued with an impressive 2-0 victory against Team Unconquered yet, despite their flawless performance, their semi-final hopes were dashed.
Due to a lower points tally across the pool matches, Team Australia fell short of advancing to the next stage of competition.
Although naturally disappointed at not progressing further, Luke Manhire, like the rest of the close-knit team, accepted the outcome with aplomb, focused on the positives of the day.
As a Warrior Games 2024 alum, Luke, a former Australian Army rifleman who lost his left leg in an above-knee amputation following a motorcycle accident in 2022, was overjoyed at the two wins.
"It was our first wins ever! We were all revved up, ready to go, but, you know, you've got to go by the points. It is what it is," he said.
Sitting volleyball is a unique adaptive sport, one that demands incredible athleticism and dexterity, not to mention quick reflexes. Players communicate continuously, making split-second decisions as they dive from a seated position, block and set up critical plays.
Intense as it is, there's no question that it's also an incredibly fun sport, as evidenced by the broad smiles on all the competitors' faces as they battled it out on court.
"I love it! It's one sport I can get right into. Hopefully there'll be more volleyball when I get back home," shared Luke (44).
"It was really full on (on the court), really amazing. The team's come together really well, considering how much training we've been able to do together as a team. Yeah, it's been fantastic.
"You know, there's obviously things we're all going to learn and keep getting better but, all in all, I reckon we played really well."
The day finished with a moving blanketing ceremony, a sacred and deeply meaningful cultural tradition by the local Indigenous peoples to honour, uplift and protect individuals who have made important contributions or shown resilience.
During the ceremony, family and friends followed representatives of the four host first nations to drape a ceremonial blanket over their loved ones in front of witnesses, showing respect, strength, protection and connection to community.
With skeleton and now siting volleyball behind him, Adelaide-based Luke is gearing up for his final day of competition tomorrow alongside 27 compatriots - indoor rowing.
The one-minute sprint and four-minute endurance races allow athletes to showcase their strength, endurance and resilience, and are a fitting end to an international event dedicated to demonstrating the power of sport to positively influence the recovery, rehabilitation and reintegration of former and current serving Defence veterans who have been wounded, injured or become ill during their service.
The closing ceremony will then follow the indoor rowing, to be held at Rogers Arena at 6pm PST (1pm AEDT). The ceremony will feature a trio of Grammy-nominated artists, including Barenaked Ladies, The War and Treaty and American rapper and songwriter, Jelly Roll.
