First Winter Invictus Games 2025

The first-ever Winter Invictus Games will be held in February 2025 in Vancouver. On January 29, veteran Yevhen Kaus was introduced at the Accessibility Council meeting as a member of the National Team. 

Yevhen Kaus — a certified coach in adaptive rowing from the «Ukrainian Federation of Marine Multisport» in the Odesa region. 

During the full-scale war, Yevhen suffered a mine-explosive injury, resulting in the loss of both legs. He will compete in three events at the Vancouver Games: curling, biathlon, and skeleton. 

The Ukrainian team from the Odesa region also includes:

- Oleksiy Vasilyev, soldier of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, veteran, injured in March 2023 during combat operations in Bakhmut; 
- Illia Pylypenko, sailor of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, veteran, injured in September 2022 near Bilohirka due to a mine explosion; 
- Oleksiy Prytula, senior soldier of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, veteran, injured in September 2022 in the vicinity of Yampolivka. 

The Invictus Games are the largest international event for injured veterans and service members who were wounded or became ill while serving. 

Ukraine's participation in the 2025 Games will be its fifth appearance. The Invictus Games in Vancouver-Whistler 2025 will mark the first-ever winter hybrid games. 

Veterans will compete in various sports, including swimming, adaptive rowing, sitting volleyball, wheelchair basketball, and wheelchair rugby, as well as new winter sports: alpine skiing, snowboarding, biathlon, cross-country skiing, skeleton, and wheelchair curling.