Army veteran proposes to girlfriend at Invictus Games in ‘gold medal moment’

A British army veteran got his “gold medal moment” at the Invictus Games in Canada when he proposed to his girlfriend.

James Cairns, from Holmfirth in Yorkshire, asked his girlfriend of four years Hannah Wild to marry him at the opening of the Team UK Wheelchair Basketball match in Vancouver on Sunday, the Royal British Legion said.

James, 35, celebrated the moment with his teammates, family, friends and he and Hannah’s two-year-old son.

Army veteran James Cairns kisses his partner Hannah Wild after his ‘gold medal moment'(Aaron Chown/PA)PA Wire/PA Images - Aaron Chown

Since losing his leg to a sniper bullet in Afghanistan, James has been training for the Invictus Games and now competes in three sports: biathlon, swimming and wheelchair basketball.

James said: “This is my gold medal moment.

“It has been months in the planning to keep it a secret.

“To compete for Team UK and then propose was just amazing. And she said yes!”

The seventh edition of the games, established by the Duke of Sussex in 2014, began in Vancouver on Saturday.

Harry and Meghan were at the opening ceremony, which had a star-studded line-up of performers including Nelly Furtado, Coldplay’s Chris Martin and Katy Perry.

More than 500 competitors from 23 nations will take part in the games, which go on until Sunday February 16.

James lost his leg to a sniper bullet in Afghanistan (Aaron Chown/PA)PA Wire/PA Images - Aaron Chown

James and 61 other Team UK competitors, all veterans and serving personnel who were injured during service, departed for Canada earlier this week.

The games aim to “inspire recovery, support rehabilitation and generate a wider understanding and respect for those who have served their country”, the Royal British Legion said.

The Invictus Games were held in London in 2014, in Orlando in 2016, Toronto in 2017, Sydney in 2018, The Hague in 2022 and Dusseldorf in 2023.