News & Events

News & Events / Stars of the Invictus Games supports Military Preparation College Learners

Stars of the Invictus Games supports Military Preparation College Learners

A GROUP of inspiring athletes who have all triumphed in the face of adversity are giving their support to more than 1000 of our young people taking part in a virtual Olympic Games this month (July).

And in a bid to keep its students motivated during the current COVID-19 crisis, the colleges are set to run their own Olympic Games, ending in a virtual medal ceremony with some of the stars of the Invictus Games.

The competition – which will run from 27 July to 7 August- will see hundreds of young people competing across the country in a range of challenges, including the 100, 800, 1500, 3000 and 5000 metres, CrossFit, burpees, standing long jump and agility tests.

Learners will either take part safely at the college or virtually at their own homes and then submit their timings for the events.

And those with the best scores will receive their medals from a team of well-known athletes who have all participated in the Invictus Games.

They include swimmer Rachel Williamson who is the current Invictus UK captain for the upcoming games in The Hague, Mark “Dot” Perkins, a former soldier who was injured in a vehicle accident and Team UK captain for the 2018 Invictus Games in Sydney, went on to become a cyclist, and medallist in the indoor rowing.

Ali Jawad who is a Commonwealth Games Powerlifting medallist and competitor for the upcoming Paralympic Games.

Sportsman, Martin Tye who lost his ability to walk after being injured in Kabul in 2009 – but has gone on to compete in five different sporting events a multi medal winner in both the Invictus Games in Toronto 2017 & Sydney 2018, as well as setting the world record for seated deadlift at the recent Arnold Classics out in the states.

The aim of the event is to motivate the young people who have had to continue their training virtually since lockdown began along with improving their physical and mental health.

Huw Lewis MBE, CEO of MPCT, believes that the event offers an important opportunity to Learners across all of our colleges.

With the real Olympic games not taking place this year, we thought there was still something we could do inspire and excite our students,” he said.

And we are absolutely thrilled to being supported by sportsmen and women at the top of their game who will hand out the virtual medals at our closing ceremony.

They are fantastic examples of what you can achieve with dedication and determination, some of the traits that we want our students to embody.”

Huw Lewis MBE

MPCT this year celebrates 21 years of preparing young people for life in the military along with giving thousands more useful life skills which have seen them find employment or go into further education.

Back to news articles

5 Things I Wish I Knew Before Joining MPCT

Starting somewhere new can be a bit intimidating. New people. New instructors. New routines. If you’re joining MPCT because you’re thinking about a future in the Armed Forces, you might have a whole list of questions running through your head. So, what would previous learners tell you if they could go back to their first...

Read more

College isn’t working for me, what can I do next?

You thought college was going to be the next step. Maybe your friends went there, maybe it seemed like the obvious choice after school, maybe you picked a course because you weren’t completely sure what else to do. But now you’re there and something just isn’t clicking. You could be not enjoying it, struggling to...

Read more

What Happens When You Join the Military? From Application to Basic Training

Thinking about joining the Armed Forces can feel like a massive decision. If you’ve never spoken to anyone who’s been through the process, you might have no idea what actually happens after you decide to apply. Here’s a simple breakdown.   Step 1: You decide to apply It sounds obvious, but this is where everything...

Read more

From MPCT Teesside to 3 PARA — an outstanding achievement and an inspiration to future learners!

MPCT Teesside is incredibly proud to celebrate the achievements of former learner Dominic Thirwell, who has gone from strength to strength since beginning his journey into the British Army. During his training at the Army Foundation College (AFC) Harrogate, Dominic had the honour of meeting His Majesty King Charles III and was recognised as the...

Read more

Find Your Force: Army, Royal Navy, RAF or Royal Marines?

If you’re thinking about a career in the Armed Forces, you might already have one of them in mind, or you might have absolutely no idea and that’s completely normal. Each service offers different careers, environments and experiences. So which one could be right for you? Army If you like being active, working outdoors and...

Read more

What Fitness Level Do You REALLY Need to Join the Armed Forces?

Think you need to be ridiculously fit before you can even think about joining the Armed Forces? The good news is that you don’t need to be an Olympic athlete, but you do need to be prepared to work on your fitness. If you’re starting from scratch, here’s what you actually need to know. First...

Read more