Edge launches Invictus Games Sydney 2018 Walk and Talk to support physical + mental wellbeing

In celebration of Sydney hosting Invictus Games Sydney 2018 presented by Jaguar Land Rover, Edge has just helped launch a large-scale outdoor mental health initiative – the ‘Invictus Games Sydney 2018 Walk and Talk’ – with the support of the Northern Beaches Council and James Griffin MP, Member for Manly.

The Walk and Talk route stretches 2.6km along Manly beachfront from Shelly Beach to Queenscliff and is marked out by a series of over 160 dots and ‘conversation starters’ to stimulate conversation among participants across several themes including sport, wellness, quirks, personal preferences and experiences.

The Invictus Games Sydney 2018 Walk and Talk is designed to encourage people to get outside and walk and talk with a friend, colleague or stranger, to improve mental health and physical wellness. The activity helps raise awareness of the Invictus Games, its founding belief in the benefits of physical activity and connecting with your support network to support physical and mental wellbeing.

At the launch, Member for Manly, James Griffin MP, was joined by Minister for Veterans’ Affairs, The Hon David Elliott, and Northern Beaches Council Mayor, Michael Regan. Griffin said he was thrilled that the Manly community had embraced the Invictus spirit.

Says Griffin: “Sydney’s hosting of this year’s Invictus Games is an opportunity for all of us to learn more about the links between physical and mental health. I hope that people who enjoy their morning walk from Shelly to Queensie will now do so in support of the Games.”

Minister Elliott said he encouraged people from all walks of life to share in the spirit of the Invictus Games by participating in a Walk and Talk or purchasing a ticket to support the competitors.

Says Elliott: “I encourage everyone to get along to the Invictus Games and cheer on these competitors as they turn adversity into opportunity.”

Says Fergus Stoddart, director, Edge: “The exciting thing about the Invictus Games is not the event itself, it’s the legacy that the event can leave in Australia and the light that it shines on key causes like mental health. This Walk and Talk is the simplest and most accessible way to feel the healing power of sport – one of the core philosophies that underpins the Invictus Games.”

The activation will run between August and October when the Invictus Games Sydney 2018 concludes.