17 January 2025
As a physical training instructor with the Royal Australian Navy, Petty Officer Jarryd Boyd understands the importance of sport and fitness.
However, a series of debilitating injuries has tested his body and mental resilience, forcing him to identify new goals and redefine his approach to training and competition.
The 35-year-old has undergone multiple surgeries on his left ankle and right knee, leaving him with osteoarthritis. In addition, an accident at work resulted in the loss of sensation in his left arm and reduced grip strength. He is also carrying lower back injuries.
Collectively, these injuries have led to the downgrading of his medical classification within the Navy, meaning he no longer meets the criteria to serve at sea – something that, after nearly 16 years of service, has been a devastating blow.
“I think that for the better part of the last few years, I've really let my injuries be the excuse for a lot of things. It’s been a setback,” said Petty Officer Boyd, who lives in Erskine Park, NSW, with his wife Katie and children Scarlet (10), Leo (8), Zahlia (6) and Nyah (5).
“I now realise that the likelihood of me being fit again to go back to sea is really slim. That was a kick in the guts for me.
“When I saw the expression of interest come out for Invictus Games, I thought, what better way to use this as justification for why I could still be employed? That’s for me on a work level.
“On a personal level, being surrounded by good physios and doctors has also shown me a different side of the coin; that there’s no reason you still can’t be competitive in sport, whether it’s adaptive sport or a lower level than what you’ve done before. You just have to manage your body.”
'Being selected for Invictus has actually changed the way that I think a lot about things, and it’s given me a drive to be competitive again.'
As one would imagine of a person whose day-to-day work has centred on physical fitness, sport – AFL, rugby league, touch football and cricket – was an important part of Petty Officer Boyd’s life growing up in Drummoyne.
“Being selected for Invictus has actually changed the way that I think a lot about things, and it’s given me a drive to be competitive again,” he said.
The games haven’t even started, yet Petty Officer Boyd has already found the camaraderie he’s been yearning for among his Aussie teammates.
Although he likened day one of the initial training camp to the first day of school (“it was a bit daunting”), he confided that the initial nervousness had faded, replaced by solid connections.
“In terms of bonding with everyone, it just gets stronger and stronger and stronger. Everyone is here to support each other,” Petty Officer Boyd said.
Speaking of support, the current facility manager at HMAS Penguin and operations manager for Navy AFL couldn’t be more effusive about the role his family played in his recovery. He is grateful his immediate family, together with his mother and parents-in-law, can all join him in Canada to watch him battle it out in alpine skiing, skeleton, wheelchair rugby, swimming and indoor rowing events.
While he is still awestruck that he is representing his country at an international sporting event, knowing he would be wearing the Australian kit – featuring a cultural connection to Australia’s First Nations peoples – makes the moment even more special.
As an Indigenous Australian, Petty Officer Boyd is deeply proud of his background and how it has helped to shape his identity.
“It’s something that I'm proud of and something I tell my kids to be proud of, too,” he said.
For this reason, he is looking forward to learning more about the indigenous peoples of Canada and their cultures – as the Invictus Games Foundation will partner with First Nations peoples within a host country for the first time.
The Invictus Games, an international adaptive sporting event for wounded, injured or ill military personnel, offers veterans and serving personnel the chance to reclaim their sense of pride, self-worth and determination through sport. The Vancouver and Whistler event kicks off on February 8 and runs for eight days.
