Watch Our 2024 Christmas Film - Pass It On: An Invictus Tale
The Invictus Games Foundation has released Pass It On: An Invictus Tale, a one-of a kind short film designed to showcase the transformative power of the Invictus Spirit.
Jen Warren
Jen Warren was a doctor in the British Army, before she suffered severe injuries in 2008 due to a skiing accident, which greatly affected her mobility.
Jen was inspired to use sport as a pathway to recovery after watching the inaugural Invictus Games London 2014 on television.
She took part in the Invictus Games Orlando 2016, competing in a variety of sports and winning a number of medals, and after inspiring so many of her teammates in 2016, she was selected as Vice-Captain in 2017.
Jen described her experience at the Invictus Games as “life-changing” and that she was “honoured” to be selected as Vice-Captain of the UK Team.
Michelle Turner
Michelle Turner was first selected to be a part of Team UK for the Invictus Games Toronto 2017 but her time at the Games did not go smoothly.
Michelle, a former RAF Sergeant, suffers from a heart condition that results in extreme dizziness and exhaustion and at the worst of times, sudden fainting.
This led Michelle to confine herself to her house through fear of collapsing in public with her young daughter Maya having to call the emergency services on a consistent basis to save her mom’s life.
Michelle knew she needed a change and reached out to be a part of the Invictus Games and was selected to take part in swimming and rowing events at Toronto 2017. Unfortunately, due to ill health she was unable to compete in swimming and she felt that she had “unfinished business” at the Invictus Games.
Gift of a Coin
Jen, Vice-Captain of Team UK at Toronto 2017, noticed that Michelle was feeling down and unsatisfied with her time at the Games being cut short due to illness and what happened next was a moment that would change Jen and Michelle’s lives forever and for the better.
Jen gifted a commemorative coin she had received for taking part in Invictus Games from Team UK to Michelle.
Michelle didn’t understand why Jen was giving her this coin, she felt unworthy.
Jen reassured Michelle that she was a strong and resilient person who was going through a tough time and that the gift of this coin was to remind her of the Invictus Spirit and that by simply coming to the Invictus Games she was a winner.
“That coin saved my life,” is a phrase that Michelle freely uses now when she talks about her recovery journey.
Michelle returned to the Invictus Games for Sydney 2018 and following in Jen’s footstep, served as Vice-Captain of Team UK.
Michelle completed her Invictus Games journey in Sydney and competed in both Rowing and Swimming and credited her experience with not just saving her life but healing the entire Turner family.
Michelle, alongside her daughter Maya and husband John, took part in the Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral to mark the 10 Year Anniversary of the Invictus Games Foundation and recited a poem to express the impact the Invictus Games had on them.
"Thank you Invictus for giving me my mum back. Thank you Invictus for giving me my wife back. Thank you Invictus for giving me my life back," were the final lines of the poem the Turner family composed and performed to an emotional standing ovation in St Paul’s Cathedral.
Jen and Michelle reunited at the Service of Thanksgiving in May, 2024 and told the story of the coin for the first time on camera.
Michelle wanted to repay the gift Jen gave her all those years ago and that moment was captured in our Christmas film: Pass It On: An Invictus Tale.
Pass It On: An Invictus Tale showcases the transformational power a small gift like a coin can give to two people and their families and the power of the Invictus Spirit
Watch it now.