The Official Book |
Invictus Games Sydney 2018
The fourth Invictus Games took place in Sydney, Australia, in October 2018 and for the first time The Games published a hardcover book of personal stories.
I was commissioned to lead, develop and execute the content strategy and promote and pre-sell the book using digital and social media. I reported from Sydney to interview and share the incredible stories of the competitors - war veterans and service personnel - to inspire national and international audiences, showcase the healing power of sport, and leave a legacy.
This assignment is one of the greatest human experiences of my life.
Throughout 10 days, I sourced interviews with 40 people from 18 countries, many of whom didn’t speak English. In short interactions, I was challenged with creating safe spaces where people felt trusted with their stories. We smiled, cried, and laughed together, as men and women, young and old, revisited dark moments of the war and new experiences of courage. Their eyes beamed with joy from the friendship and support of fellow competitors and family members, who are moving forward on a path of hope together.
The Official Book of The Invictus Games Sydney 2018 published in January 2019 and thousands of copies were distributed globally. Books now live in homes around the world and in the National Library of Australia.
“I never thought I’d be accepted on the team, especially with my age. But I was, and I feel so privileged. I feel so good to be here, to be part of the crowd, to be someone.” - Cavelle Simmonds, Team Canada
Cavelle Simmonds, 67, was the oldest competitor of The Games. She enrolled in the veterans transition program to help recover from post-traumatic stress. I met Cavelle in the hallway after her wheelchair rugby game: she was so excited her teammate could hardly pull her away from the energy of the gymnasium. She was nearly five feet tall, but her presence and spirit was strong. We shared a few tears as Cavelle spoke about her struggle with post-traumatic stress and how much it meant to her to be at the Games. Cavelle’s enthusiasm stays with me today.
200 pages. Produced and published in three months (often nine months by industry standards).
I spent hours sitting in the stands and at track side to observe teams and their competitors. Team Italy was a tight-knit group of friends and they were happy to be at The Games together. Team Canada had the oldest competitor and the only blind competitor of The Games, demonstrating diversity.
Post interview sharing a hug with Team Italy competitors
Through 15 to 16-hour days, I problem solved and persevered to chase and coordinate interviews that would achieve our goal of representing each country and their team spirit in the book.
“Throughout Kristen demonstrated her problem-solving ability, passion, and perseverance to pursue original storytelling that could sustain editorial integrity, evoke emotion, and meet the needs of our corporate sponsors and stakeholders. She pushed the boundaries to uphold the vision.”
Here are some of my favourite stories:
Photographer: Sabine Albers
Writer: Alexei Tsallis
Designer: Becky Chill, Chil3
Editors: Jason Normandale, Deb Fitzpatrick
Printer: Advance Press