https://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/sport/local-sport/townsville-sergeant-defies-injuries-to-captain-invictus-games-side/news-story/9278c00efa183fdc856f9463b56f5b71 IT WILL be the first time Sgt Shane Bramley represents Australia in the Invictus Games. But while honoured to fly his nation’s flag, it is the opportunity to compete in front of his family that serves as motivation to perform. Sgt Bramley’s son, Nathan, has never seen his athletic prowess in action. He has heard stories of “how good he was” but the trip to the Netherlands will put an image to the fanfare. Twenty-four years of military service has taken its toll on the Aitkenvale man, who now lives with fibromyalgia — a widespread, fatigue-inducing and degenerative muscle condition. While his involvement in sport had caused some chronic pain, it was after his last tour to East Timor in 2009 that illustrated to him something was amiss.
“I basically felt like I had a really bad flu or virus when you feel really run down — the type of thing you just need a good long weekend to recover from,” Sgt Bramley said. “It just never happened, I never regained the energy. “It really started to impact on the effectiveness in the workplace and day to day life. “It was hard to find the energy to actually be invested in anything really, everything was a bit of a struggle.” By reconnecting with his sporting roots and engaging with other wounded servicemen and women Sgt Bramley began to better manage his condition. For 2018 Sydney Invictus Games he put his hand up to compete but missed out on selection. His disappointment, however, did not last long. Rather than allowing the setback to cloud his future pursuits, Sgt Bramley returned to training and featured in the 2018 and 2019 Warrior Games, winning the discus gold medal in each. Being surrounded by so many people who had endured similar — or worse — conditions contextualised the disappointment for Sgt Bramley, who said keeping in touch with military sport programs helped him overcome the adversity. It is a mindset that has not only led to his maiden Invictus Games, but also earned him the mantle of co-captain. “For some people, when you have the disappointment, you can lose touch a little bit so the biggest thing for me was staying engaged and making yourself available for the opportunities,” he said. “Once you attend an event like the Warrior or Invictus Games you soon see there are people from all other nations and services where everyone suffers quite similar experiences. “It sort of desensitises the negative side of it because you can see you’re not alone and there are support networks.” The 46-year-old, who still serves as an army physical training instructor, will compete in wheelchair basketball, sitting volleyball and athletics in a hectic Games schedule. As for his expectations of the event, Sgt Bramley is simply focused on staying in the moment. “I think the take away message is just do something, stay connected and be kind to yourself,” he said. “It’s easy to shine when the sun’s out but what happens when the dark clouds start to roll in? “Win lose or draw we’ve done our best and will be satisfied with our best.” The Invictus Games will begin at The Hague on May 9.
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AuthorI covered a vast range of sports and issues in my time with the Bulletin. Archives
June 2020
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