One evening in November 2020, a year into his military service, Peacemaker Azuegbulam’s lifelong dream of being a soldier came to an abrupt end.
Peacemaker Azuegbulam, 27, Africa's first gold medalist at the Invictus Games, center left, warms up before an exhibition sitting volleyball match in Abuja, Nigeria, Saturday, May 11, 2024. He was among the soldiers deployed during Nigeria's grinding counter-offensive against Islamic extremists in the northeastern Borno state in 2020 when an anti-aircraft weapon was fired at them.
Azuegbulam is among the Nigerian servicemembers wounded and mentally battered in the country’s 14-year-long war against Islamic extremists and other armed groups in the country’s northern region. They say they feel better and are recovering faster since last year's Invictus Games, when Nigeria became the first African country to compete in the event.
In Nigeria, Harry played an Invictus Games-related volleyball match with wounded soldiers in Abuja, the capital, and visited a military hospital handling critical injuries. Last September, he was selected to join Nigeria’s team of 10 to attend the games, where he participated in snowboarding. Studies have shown that sports can help veterans heal from the physical and psychological issues related to their combat experiences. Sports help, for instance, to enhance social connections, stress management, self-esteem and mental wellness, according to Dr. Maymunah Yusuf Kadiri, one of Nigeria’s most popular mental health physicians.
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