![Eleebana's Alex Hale with his medals from the Warrior Games. Picture Supplied Eleebana's Alex Hale with his medals from the Warrior Games. Picture Supplied](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/AVQVfAtGgzehhK8J9F6uCU/03327f7c-d750-4dbb-8ae8-dc5556435322.jpg/r0_520_924_1402_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
BRING on Canada.
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Inspirational Eleebana paraplegic athlete Alex Hale has set his sights on the Invictus Games - and a gold medal - in Vancouver next year after a breakthrough performance at the Warrior Games in the US.
Competing at his first major adaptive sports event, Hale returned from the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando with a silver medal and two bronze.
A lieutenant commander in the Navy, Hale was left a paraplegic after being hit from behind by a car when he was out on a morning cycle training ride in Berry on April 20, 2023.
A little more than 14 months later, he was part of Team Australia competing against other disabled service people in an incredible five sports - cycling, rowing, wheelchair basketball, archery and shooting.
Hale, who has no feeling from the chest down, collected silver in the four-minute endurance rowing and bronze in the one-minute sprint.
He also picked up bronze in the 18-metre target archery.
![What a warrior: Hale eyes Invictus Games after US medal haul What a warrior: Hale eyes Invictus Games after US medal haul](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/AVQVfAtGgzehhK8J9F6uCU/ffc4963e-9073-4a93-8f44-57c4cbe6507f.jpg/r0_317_5460_3389_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
"I was not expecting to get any medals," Hale said.
If not for an equipment malfunction, the 41-year-old could have returned with gold.
"In the one-minute sprint, you are strapped into a chair," he said. "I lost my left-hand harness and was hanging off the right side of the chair. I tried to adjust but I ended up ploughing ahead. I missed out on silver by seven metres. It was pretty close."
As well as the medals, Hale received the "Heart of the Team" award.
"It was like sportsmanship award," Hale said. "I was getting around supporting the other competitors. There was a bit of contention in the archery over one of the competitor's categories. I was offered to go back and redo the competition and fight for gold but I said no."
![What a warrior: Hale eyes Invictus Games after US medal haul What a warrior: Hale eyes Invictus Games after US medal haul](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/AVQVfAtGgzehhK8J9F6uCU/89750e02-3143-41f1-bf4b-c82fbf8467d6.jpg/r0_0_1368_1824_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Hale was accompanied by Team Hale, including wife Erin, seven-year-old son Max and seven other family members, travelled to Orlando.
"The family had a magical time," Hale "They closed the Disneyland Park for competitors and their families one night and we had access to Magic Kingdom for a couple of hours. Max loved it."
The Warrior Games are as much about forming friendships and connections as they are medals.
"There were so many inspiring people," Hale said. "To see all the different competitors out there with varying disabilities and how they coped.
"My main competitor was in the US Special Forces. He was about six months ahead of me in terms of his injury. We talked a lot. I am going to stay in contact with him.
"There were lots of people going through their own journeys. We all grouped together and helped each other. I swapped one of my basketball singlet for a US Navy singlet The camaraderie between the teams was super strong."
The Warrior Games are the forerunner to the Invictus Games, for which Prince Harry is the flag bearer, and involve Defence personnel in adaptive sports.
"The Invictus Games are in February," Hale said. "Selections for the Australian team will be announced in the next few weeks. The first training camp is on August 9.
"I want a rematch on the one-minute rowing sprint," Hale said.
"It has been 10 days since my last event. I am itching to get back into training."