How Prince Harry’s Invictus Games Are Transforming Veterans’ Lives Worldwide: ‘We’re Healing’

“It’s been a lesson in serving a purpose greater than ourselves,” the Duke of Sussex told PEOPLE in 2022

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex takes a selfie with a winner at the cycling medal ceremony and and hands over a medal to the winning team at the Cycling Track during day six of the Invictus Games on September 15, 2023 in Duesseldorf, Germany. PHOTO: CHRIS JACKSON/GETTY IMAGES

Prince Harry is being honored for his impact on the veteran community through his Invictus Games Foundation.

As this year’s recipient of the Pat Tillman Award for Service at the upcoming ESPY Awards, the Duke of Sussex, 39, says, “This one is for our entire service community.”

After a decade in the British Armed Forces, including two tours in Afghanistan, Harry founded the Invictus Games in 2004 to empower wounded, sick, and injured servicemen and women through sports. The event has since become a worldwide phenomenon, changing the lives of soldiers in dozens of countries.

“I truly believe that we are at our best when we’re in service to others, and Invictus is all about upholding that value,” Prince Harry told PEOPLE in 2022.

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A Healing Process

Garrett Kuwada of Team USA competes in the Mixed Team Semi Final match between Team United States and Team Australia on day two of the 2023 Invictus Games.LUKAS SCHULZE/GETTY

“[Harry’s] a veteran, and like all vets, when we get together, we talk, laugh, joke and tease each other. He’s just like one of the guys,” retired Chief Master Sgt. Garrett Kuwada, who competed for Team USA at the Invictus Games in Düsseldorf, Germany, in 2023, previously told PEOPLE. “He makes you feel like you’ve known him forever.”

“I’m so grateful that Prince Harry put this together for us veterans to come together and use this as part of our healing process. And we are, we’re healing, because everybody is smiling,” he added.

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A Deeply Personal Cause

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Patron of the Invictus Games Foundation onstage during The Invictus Games Foundation Conversation titled “Realising a Global Community” at the Honourable Artillery Company on May 07, 2024 in London, England.CHRIS JACKSON/GETTY IMAGES

“It’s a deeply personal cause for him. He makes himself really accessible to all the competitors – he is involved in every aspect of the Games,” retired U.S. Army Captain Will Reynolds told PEOPLE.

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Making a Difference

Katie Kuiper of Team USA gets a kiss from Prince Harry at the road cycling event during the Invictus Games Orlando 2016 at ESPN Wide World of Sports on May 9, 2016 in Orlando, Florida.

The Invictus Games “are really important. They are really making a difference in people’s lives,” said Katie Kuiper, a former Army staff sergeant who served in Iraq and Guantanamo Bay Naval Base.

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Finding Connection

Heart of Invictus. (L to R) Gabriel “Gabe” George and Prince Harry Duke of Sussex in Heart of Invictus.COURTESY OF NETFLIX

“Every conversation that I’ve had with him has been just like I’m talking to a friend, a brother, maybe because of the military connection that we have,” Gabriel “Gabe” George of Team USA told PEOPLE of connecting with the Duke of Sussex. “We share where we just left off. The conversation just continues to go on.”

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A Journey of Recovery

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex attending the final day of the One Year to Go Event before the Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025 and go curling at the Vancouver Curling Club at Hillcrest Community Centre in Vancouver, Canada.SHUTTERSTOCK

“He’s genuinely interested in your journey….”His focus is on understanding the athletes. It’s about recognizing those embarking on a journey of recovery. That’s what drives him,” Mike Bourgeois, who served as a member of Canada’s archery team at the 2020 Invictus Games in The Netherlands, told PEOPLE.

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A Greater Purpose

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex attends the Wheelchair Rugby competition during day two of the Invictus Games 2023 on September 11, 2023 in Duesseldorf, Germany.CHRIS JACKSON/GETTY

“Creating the Games involved listening to military and veteran families — and hearing directly from them about their lives — and that offered so much perspective. It’s been a lesson in serving a purpose greater than ourselves, and the benefit that comes from that extends to both the individual and the community,” the Duke of Sussex told PEOPLE in 2022.