‘It’s changed my life’: British and Israeli veterans compete at inspirational Veteran Games

“I was always proud of him.” Travis Eaglesham is watching his dad, Phillip, helping another British veteran with his skills at the shooting range in the Beit Halochem sports centre outside Tel Aviv. 

It’s clear that there’s a strong bond between the two. Phillip is one of more than 60 British veterans who came to Israel with their families to compete in the annual Veteran Games, an event initiated and organised by the charity Beit Halochem UK and supported by philanthropic donations from the UK.

At first sight, Phillip looks like an athlete. Well-build, healthy, and in a good mood. But like a lot of veterans competing at the Games, this isn’t the full story. He is only capable of walking today due to a drug he has been prescribed, which he says “miraculously” brought him on his feet again, as long as he takes it three times per day.

What better way to celebrate five glorious days of sun, sea, cameraderie and competition than one final families chorus from the veterans and their families. If only there were a way to bottle this atmosphere. #VeteranGames pic.twitter.com/hfsnlenXNG

— Jewish News (@JewishNewsUK) June 2, 2023

 Philip had been chained to a wheelchair for 12 years up until February. He nearly died after contracting Q Fever during his time as a Royal Marine in Afghanistan in 2010.

In the following years, his health drastically deteriorated, causing tremendous pain and agony for him as well as the family, in particular his son Travis, who suffered mentally.

“It affected my education and I hid my emotions. So it wasn’t really picked up. It broke me down,” Travis said. “It took about 10 years until we realised what the impact was,” Philip added.

Coming to Israel on a five day trip to compete in the Veteran Games, but to also enjoy family time at the Dead Sea, visit historic sites in Jerusalem and enjoy the beaches and food Tel Aviv has to offer, is a unique experience for the British veterans.

“For wives and kids this event is really important. They realise that a lot of other families have gone through similar things. As for me…. I’ve done Paralympics, and competed at high levels. But this is a lot more for me. It’s about camaraderie, being together as a family and being around like minded people,” Philip said.

Philip gets emotional when he talks about his story. But like the other veterans at the Games, his positive outlook on life is similar to the other British and Israeli veterans competing.

In the gymnastics hall above the shooting range, dozens of veterans are giving it all they have at the X-fit discipline, which consists of a series of fitness challenges. Each station has a referee who is keeping scores on the participants.

Stacey Mitchell, 29, is one of them. A beautiful young lady in a wheelchair, doing pull-ups and pushups at one of the most physically challenging stations in the hall.

Stacey sustained an overuse injury in her leg during her service in the RAF. The nerve condition left Stacey in terrible pain, forcing her to get a knee amputation to get her life back.

“I feel at home. The camaraderie here is great. Everyone just tends to blend together. It would be great if we could have something in this sort of level back in the UK,” Stacey said, catching her breath after doing rounds of pull-ups.

The gymnastics hall is full of energetic veterans in all ages. The oldest one is 98-year-old Moshe Kohalani, an Israeli man who was injured in a car accident while serving in the British army in then-Palestine, from 1940-1944. He later served in the Israeli army as well.

As the heroes of the third #VeteranGames head home, co-founder Spencer Gelding says: ‘For the first time in a long time the veterans’ families have been able to see them compete and being part of a community again. Seeing the smilies on their faces says everything.’ pic.twitter.com/4ulRkaWsSB

— Jewish News (@JewishNewsUK) June 2, 2023

 Kohalani is jogging in the hall, speaking to many of the other veterans who are interested in his story. “It’s great to see so many people gathered here today,” he said smiling.

Next to Kohalani, 41-year-old Gareth Golightly from Carlisle is racing through the hall in his wheelchair.

He has been wheelchair bound since his road traffic accident in 2002 while on guard duty. Like many other participants, Gareth brought this wife and four children.

“It’s a big boost to be around veterans, not just the Brits but also the Israelis. To share experiences from different backgrounds and cultures. But also having your family here makes a massive difference,” Gareth said.

The enormous support given by the families to their loved ones participating in the Games is clearly visible. They follow them around each station and cheer them on. Each participant’s needs is very different. For some, like Gareth, being in a wheelchair limits their mobility, while some struggle with blindness and mental challenges.

Others suffer from stomach cancer, like Tim Crossing from Dorset, who served 20 years as a Royal Marine. The cancer has also affected other parts of his health, causing heart failure. He is participating in the Games for the first time, despite his cardiologist being worried about the physical pressure the disciplines might put on his heart.

“Doctors love to be proven wrong,” Tim laughs. “I’m absolute thrilled and humbled to have been asked to come here. The Games are about shaking hands, making friends, shining a spotlight on veterans and how we face adversaries. There’s a kinship when you meet other military guys. The stories are the same, just told from a different point of view.”

For Caroline Beazley, who was shot four times in the face, back and head while serving with the Royal Military Police in Northern Ireland in 1994, the Veteran Games changed her life.

It’s a big boost to be around veterans, not just the Brits but also the Israelis. To share experiences from different backgrounds and cultures. But also having your family here makes a massive difference.

“I was absolutely blown away over how quickly everybody bonded. To come to the games, and to be part of a team again, to wear a uniform with the union flag on it just restored my pride. It has changed my life in an amazing way,” Caroline said. Today, she serves as the Games’ ambassador.

“This is a place of hope, success and achievement,” Veteran Games co-founder, Andrew Wolfson. “It’s older veterans showing younger ones that there is a future. We don’t have that in the UK. So when people come here they see a different way. It’s very inspirational.”

UK Minister for Veteran Affairs, Johnny Mercer, also attended the event to get inspiration and learn about recovery methods for veterans in the UK. “The people who carry weight are families. That’s why this event is so special because they’re all here. I wanted to say a huge thank you for everything you do to support our veterans,” Mercer said.

“I’m interested in what’s working the best here so we can roll it out in the UK. I particularly like the pride and respect afforded (for veterans) over here. I think I have more work to do in that space back in the UK. I’m determined to make the UK the best country in the world to be a veteran. We’ve done some great work and won’t have any homeless veterans in the UK by the end of this year. But the journey towards better veteran care in the UK has been very up and down. I’ve been sacked from this job two times. I won’t stop. We’ve changed a lot in the uk but not everyone feels that and I recognise that,” he added.