Prince Harry discusses the importance of sports in his early years
Prince Harry has once again spoken honestly about how sports helped shape his life while growing up. The father of two was recently included in TIME’s 100 Most Influential People in Sports 2026 list, which honors individuals who have made a significant impact in the world of athletics.
Speaking with the outlet, Prince Harry explained that he struggled with traditional classroom learning during his school years. He then said that sports gave him motivation, structure, and a reason to remain engaged in school. Physical activities such as rugby, soccer, cricket, and polo became an important part of his daily life and helped him develop confidence and discipline.
“Sport held me together. I was one of those kids at school who did not enjoy classroom work. If it wasn’t for the sports field and the amount of sports that were on offer, there’s no way I would have stayed in school.”
An honor that comes with charity work
The Duke of Sussex was celebrated as one of TIME’s 100 Most Influential People in Sports, alongside names like LeBron James, Lionel Messi, and Alysa Liu, thanks to his work for the Invictus Games. This is an adaptive sports contest for armed forces service personnel and veterans around the world. The initiative began after the Duke attended the Warrior Games in the United States in 2013, becoming inspired to create a similar competition for wounded service members and military veterans.
"We are honoured our Founder and Patron has been recognised in the @TIME 100 Sports list.
Thank you to TIME for shining a light on the work of the #InvictusGames Foundation and the extraordinary community behind it.
Sport has the power to change lives and, in some cases, to… pic.twitter.com/83j9AhUzcp
— Invictus Games Foundation 💛🖤 (@WeAreInvictus) June 9, 2026
“I thought, ‘Wow, look at the power of sport, look at how it is literally changing lives in front of my very eyes,’ ” he told TIME. “It was so clear to me. Let’s invite as many countries as possible to make it international, because clearly more countries need to benefit from this.”
The first Invictus Games were held in London on September 10, 2014, and quickly grew into an international event. Since then, the competition has taken place in cities including Orlando, Toronto, Sydney, Düsseldorf, and Vancouver. The project combines athletic competition with recovery, rehabilitation, and community support for participants.
The Duke hopes the event can continue to grow
Despite the success of the Invictus Games, Prince Harry believes there is still room for improvement. The estranged royal has expressed interest in expanding the event and creating more opportunities for veterans to connect through sport. The Duke of Sussex said that many participants have told him the competition changed their lives and gave them renewed purpose. For him, the greatest achievement of the Invictus Games is not the medals or records, but the positive impact it continues to have on contestants.
“One thing that we really celebrate at Invictus is not only do we change lives, but we save lives as well,” he revealed to TIME. “That’s not based on anything other than the amount of individuals that come up to me and say, ‘If it wasn’t for Invictus, I would have killed myself.’ “
