Competitors at sporting event for injured military will be assessed by physiotherapists

Physiotherapists Hannah Cumming, Rachael Butcher and Lucy Bell are part of the team assessing all the competitors at the Invictus Games which were opened in Sydney on 20 October by Prince Harry.

‘Our role is as “catergorisers” - making sure all competitors are in the correct class or section in their sports,’ Ms Bell told Frontline.

‘Between the three of us we visited each European country competing to do the first assessments.

‘During the games we will be checking these and assessing any new competitors who have been added or if they have a condition which could have changed over the last six months since initial assessment.’

The British physios will be working together out of the categorisation clinic along with three physiotherapists from other countries and a doctor.

‘It should be an exciting few weeks,’ Ms Bell said after arriving in Sydney yesterday.

Sporting links of physiotherapists

Lucy Bell, from Leamington Spa, works in outpatients at Nuffield Health and for the British Equestrian Federation as physio for the para dressage team.

Hannah Cumming works at Guys and St Thomas’ NHS Trust in London and has links in rowing and triathlon.

Rachael Butcher works at The Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh with links into triathlon and wheelchair rugby.

The seven-day event will see 752 competitors from 18 nations competing in 11 sports. The 72 UK team competitors were drawn from over 400 trialists.

The games are open to competitors from all branches of the regular or reserve armed forces of participating nations who have become wounded, injured or ill during, or as a direct consequence of, their service.