Prince Harry has spoken out ahead of the start of the Invictus Games to say that the mind is “like a muscle” in that it needs to be “honed, trained, rehabbed, and coached”.
Harry was speaking in his role as chief impact officer at professional coaching and mental health firm BetterUp, which has announced that it is teaming up with the Invictus Games Foundation where he is a founding patron.
BetterUp will offer one-to-one coaching and personalised assessments to support members of the Invictus community.
The Invictus Games will take place in The Hague in the Netherlands from Saturday, April 16 to Friday, April 22, after being delayed by the pandemic.
Harry founded the games to aid the rehabilitation of injured or sick military personnel and veterans from across the globe, by giving them the challenge of competing in sporting events similar to the Paralympics.
Harry said: “At its heart, the Invictus Games is about empowering every single person around the world.
“It’s a worldwide display of resilience, determination, and community for which each of us can draw inspiration.
“I couldn’t think of a better new partner for the Invictus Games Foundation than the mental fitness platform BetterUp.
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“The mind is like a muscle: it needs to be honed, trained, rehabbed, and coached.
“The men and women I served with understand this, the Invictus community knows this, and now the world is beginning to see it too.
“I’m honoured to bring the work we do at BetterUp to Invictus and look forward to expanding the support systems that service members and veterans depend on to achieve remarkable feats.”
San Francisco-based BetterUp is valued at 4.7 billion dollars and Harry’s role, which he took on in March 2021, includes product strategy, philanthropy, and public advocacy related to mental health.
He is also involved in the firm’s commitment to Pledge 1% – a movement which encourages companies to donate one per cent of equity, staff time, product or profit to their communities.
Harry has said BetterUp envisioned a “world where growth and transformation are possible for everyone, and everyone has access to the support and care they need to thrive”.
His statement comes just a day after it was confirmed that Harry's wife Meghan Markle will join him at the Games for its first few days.
It comes after The Mirror last week revealed that the couple would be followed by a Netflix documentary crew throughout the Games.
The Invictus Games was where the couple chose to make their first public appearance together almost five years ago.
