In a heartwarming disclosure, Gabriel "Gabe" George, an athlete from the Invictus Games, reflected on the deep bond he developed with Prince Harry. The two crossed paths at the international sporting event held in the Hague, Netherlands and since then, their camaraderie has transcended the games and blossomed over shared military backgrounds.
Hailing from Florida, 37-year-old George, a former Navy Corpsman, embarked on his military journey in 2004. His service took him across diverse terrains, from Israel and Croatia to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. A devastating motorcycle mishap in 2008, however, changed the course of his life, culminating in an arm amputation and persistent shoulder pain.
Despite the obstacles, George's indomitable spirit led him to embrace adaptive sports, a pursuit that earned him a spot in the 2019 DOD Warrior Games for Team Navy. His relentless passion brought him to the Invictus Games, where he represented Team U.S.A in various disciplines, including archery, swimming, and rowing.
George's Invictus journey also marked the beginning of his kinship with Prince Harry. "Every conversation that I've had with him has been just like I'm talking to a friend, a brother," he revealed in a recent People magazine interview. He believes their shared military experiences forged an instant connection, making their conversations flow seamlessly.
Having served a decade in the British army with deployments to Afghanistan, Prince Harry's dedication to wounded servicemen and women led to the inception of the Invictus Games in 2014. Their bond went beyond the Games' arena. George recollected a memorable scuba diving session with the Duke in Hawaii in 2022. "Swimming around, having a good time," George recounted. Their underwater adventure was marked by an unspoken understanding, "You could see the smiles through the bubbles and all that stuff."
For George, the Invictus Games spearheaded by Prince Harry has been a beacon of hope and rejuvenation. He asserts that the Games injected a renewed vigor into his life, motivating him to pay it forward by training others in adaptive sports. He presently champions pickleball, emphasizing its transformative power, and shared, "giving them a piece of Invictus" brings life back to those he coaches.
Their bond underscores the profound connections that can be formed beyond the battlefield, where two souls, touched by the challenges and camaraderies of military life, find solace and brotherhood in each other's company.
