Brisbane QLD, Australia, 26 June 2017 | Millie Campbell

Four athletes bound for the 2017 Invictus Games in Canada this year are using this week’s inaugural Queensland Wheelchair Tennis Open in Brisbane to launch playing preparations for the prestigious sporting event for ex-servicemen and women.

For Daniel Jeffery (NSW) and Stewart Sherman (NSW) it will be their first ever wheelchair tennis tournament, with both players to represent Australia in the sport at the 2017 Invictus Games in Toronto from September 23-30. Steve Fell (QLD) and Glenn Barnes (NZL) are also playing in Brisbane this week, and will be competing for New Zealand in wheelchair tennis at the Invictus Games.

“I played last year at the Invictus Games and it was my first ever game of tennis in a wheelchair which was average to say the least,” said Sherman.

“I love tennis I grew up playing tennis, I played as a junior and once I hurt my legs and I wasn’t able to run and jump anymore it seemed like a natural progression.”

The Australian team has held a couple of training camps in Coffs Harbour in preparation for the games, but today is the first time Jefferies and Sherman will play a game of singles.

“We’ve really steeped up the training because wheelchair tennis has proven to be one of the hardest sports on earth,” laughs Sherman.

A champion of getting wheelchair tennis included in the Invictus Games is Newcastle’s Daniel Jeffery.

“It’s still fairly new among the Australia veteran community,” said Jeffery.

“Ex-servicemen are all dealing with some sort of adversity in their life as a result of their service, injuries and illness, and the Invictus Games brings out that family and community together on a level playing field.

“You can partake in sport, compete in something and represent your country again and be involved in a community still,” he added.

The first Invictus Games was held in London in 2013, and next year 17 nations will compete in eleven different adaptive sports at the 2018 games in Sydney.

“It’s about proving that you’ve still got what it takes to compete at an elite level, be part of your community and recover from any injuries and illnesses, especially mental health which is a tough one because with playing sport it’s not really recognised as an injury but the Invictus Games does recognise it,” added Sherman.

The inaugural Queensland Wheelchair Tennis Open is part of the ITF UNIQLO Wheelchair Tennis Tour, and will be held at the Queensland Tennis Centre from June 26-28. It’s one of seven ITF wheelchair tennis tournaments to be held on the Australian circuit, and is the first of its kind in Queensland. The event will be run in conjunction with the 2017 Queensland Open, which is a Platinum level Australian Money Tournament (AMT).

“It is great to continue to provide Queensland wheelchair tennis players with an event of this calibre in their own backyard, and to have players from all around Australia to this great facility at the Queensland Tennis Centre,” said Alex Jago, National Pathways Manager for Wheelchair Tennis.

“Over the last 12 months Tennis Australia has focused on creating opportunities for all eligible wheelchair tennis players, and we are beyond excited to have four Invictus games athletes competing. It is great these events can assist in their preparation to represent Australia in Toronto in September,” he said.