‘Heart of Invictus’ on Netflix is a documentary series that follows several athletes that were chosen to compete in the Invictus Games in Hague, Netherlands. The stories of the featured cast members really strike the hearts of the spectators because the event is intended for former members of the armed services who have been battling with physical and/or mental health after their time in the service. The same is true for Gabriel ‘Gabe’ George, a veteran of the US Navy who competed in the international sporting competition. If his story has motivated you and you want to know where he is right now, don’t worry—we’ve got you covered!
Who is Gabriel “Gabe” George?
Gabriel “Gabe” George described how he grew up in a Texas home with his brother Justin in the Netflix series. But the Navy veteran revealed that his upbringing was anything but perfect and detailed numerous painful meetings with his mother’s multiple lovers. He recounted about one time where one of his mother’s boyfriends named James had come to the room that he and Justin shared and threatened to choke Gabe if he did not stop talking before actually choking him. After seeing his mother chase after her boyfriend’s attempt to flee the house after hitting Gabe, the latter became adamant that his only source of support was himself.
Even though Gabe’s mother and her companions were fairly young, Justin concurred in the Netflix series that their actions were “abusive.” Gabe explained that his desire to leave his house as soon as possible led him to enlist in the Navy in May 2004, just a few months after graduating from high school. He continued by saying that because his mother frequently prevented him from accomplishing what he wanted, he is always prepared to start something new when a door closes.
Gabe, a corpsman who joined the Navy in July 2004, travelled to the Mediterranean, Israel, Haifa, Greece, Croatia, Europe, and Turkey during his first deployment. He was deployed again, this time to Cuba’s Guantanamo Bay. But only a few weeks after leaving Cuba and returning home, he was seriously hurt in a traffic accident as he was riding home on his motorbike from a bible study when a car appeared to pull out in front of him.
Gabe spent three weeks in bed after the accident. His lungs had collapsed, and his C2 and C5 vertebrae, six ribs, collar bone, and scapula were broken. A traumatic brain injury and a permanently paralysed right arm were also caused by the event, and the veteran later had an arm amputation due to complications stemming from his inability to control it. The incident happened in 2008, and due to his injuries, Gabe was medically released from the army in May 2009.
Before attending a remarkable National Veterans Summer Sports Clinic event in San Diego, California, when one of the Paralympic instructors demonstrated to Gabe how to use a bow by drawing the string with his bow, he had been unclear about what to do with his life for about ten years. Gabe was so inspired by the notion that a sport traditionally played with two hands was still within his grasp that the very following day he went out and bought a bow, and he hasn’t looked back since.
Where is Gabriel “Gabe” George Now?
As of this writing, Gabe is flourishing as The One Armed Archer, having established a name for himself and all that he is capable of doing with a bow. In addition, from January 2013, he has served as the owner and CEO of Paper Planes Enterprises, an organisation with headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. In the documentary, Gabe, who now resides in Jacksonville, Florida, declares that he works hard every day to be a better parent to his daughter Tameah than the one he had. The veteran acknowledged that he has not told his daughter all about his physical, sexual, and psychological abuse. Additionally, he gets along well with the rest of his family.
In the Netflix series, Gabe also discussed how his right arm still causes him daily anguish. He was spotted having fun diving in the Netherlands with Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, after the Invictus Games in 2022. He found relief from his on-going discomfort in the exercise, which also helped him form a bond with the British royal. “Every conversation I’ve had with him has been just like I’m talking to a friend, a brother, maybe because of the military connection that we have,” George told People. “We discuss our most recent point. Simply put, the conversation goes on.
