When someone is severely ill or injured, the path toward rehabilitation is often measured in small, deliberate steps. Edwin de Wolf’s steps led him across finish lines and into the world’s oceans. Edwin is an Invictus Games medalist and coach, a rehabilitation professional, a PADI Divemaster and an adaptive diver who believes that challenges should never define a person’s limits. He has built a life centered on perseverance, teamwork and helping others discover what is possible.
The Invictus Games
The Invictus Games are an international sporting event founded by Prince Harry for wounded, injured or sick military personnel. “Invictus” means “unconquered” in Latin.
Edwin is a four-time Invictus Games medalist, but is quick to mention, “The event is so much more than medals. It is about the true invincibility of humans.”
In the early 1990s, Edwin served as a group commander in the Royal Netherlands Army with the Air Mobile Brigade 12 Infanteriebataljon Garde Jagers. While leading a patrol in Bosnia, Edwin stepped on an anti-personnel mine. Thanks to teamwork and the actions of his patrol members, Edwin survived. But he lost his left leg above the knee.
Edwin competed in the Invictus Games for the first time in 2016 and won a bronze medal in cycling. After participating in three Invictus Games and winning multiple medals, Edwin became the Team Manager for the Netherlands in 2020.
When athletes struggle, Edwin supports and motivates them by acknowledging their frustration and celebrating small successes.
“Sometimes things in their heads are really big. Focusing on small goals and taking things one step at a time can help,” Edwin said. “I remind them to trust the process and focus on the why.”
In addition to sports management, Edwin participates in middle and full-distance Ironman triathlons. He also works at the Aardenburg Military Rehabilitation Centre and leads a team of 30 specialists from the Orthopedic Workshop Aardenburg. He is responsible for personnel, equipment, finances and the organization of work processes to ensure high-quality aids, including artificial legs and arms, braces and insoles, are provided to civilian and military clients.
Adaptive Scuba Diving
Edwin became a PADI Divemaster to improve his skills and because he wanted to help others dive. He believes scuba diving can be transformative, especially for people recovering from illness or injury.
“A lot of people think that diving is not possible anymore,” he says. “But where there is a will, there is a way. As long as you can keep the regulator in your mouth by yourself, you can scuba dive. If you are in doubt, just contact a PADI Adaptive Services Dive Shop and try. Teamwork makes a dream work!”
Edwin has dived around the world, from the Netherlands and Germany to Sardinia, Madeira, the Bahamas and Egypt. When asked about his favorite diving destination, he said, “I really love the warm water in the Red Sea. It’s only a four-and-a-half-hour flight from the Netherlands and the underwater world is awesome. There’s so much to see. I enjoy seeing very small stuff, the big hammerhead sharks in the deep south Red Sea, and everything in between.
“The underwater world is special in so many places and sometimes breathtakingly beautiful,” he added. “But it is also vulnerable, which is sometimes hard to see unless you are a scuba diver.”
The Invictus Endeavour PADI Distinctive Specialty
When asked about his goals for the next 12 months, Edwin said he is looking forward to completing the PADI Invictus Endeavour Distinctive Specialty course in Canada this summer. Edwin was a consultant on the new Distinctive Specialty, which was created by Peter Lawless, a Paralympic coach and former CEO of the 2025 Invictus Games.
“Diving is much more than a sport,” Edwin said. “Being in a world we can not live in without equipment is so special. It helps with recovery and wellbeing.”
The Invictus Endeavour Distinctive Specialty is designed for ill or injured service members who hold an Open Water Diver certification. Students learn how to support each other through every phase of a dive, including how to:
- Recognize distress
- Communicate non-judgmentally
- Offer support underwater and at the surface
Invictus Endeavour will be Edwin’s fifth PADI Specialty. Because he already has a Rescue Diver certification and 50 dives, this is the last course he needs to take before becoming a PADI Master Scuba Diver. It’s another major accomplishment in a long list of achievements for Edwin.
But he reminds divers, “It is not about the number of dives you have; it’s about the quality of the dives and being in the moment underwater.”
After his trip to Canada in June, Edwin plans to complete two Ironman 70.3 triathlons, one in September and one in October. At the end of the year, he plans to dive in the Maldives or Bonaire.
This article is a very brief summary of all of Edwin’s accomplishments. You can learn more about his extraordinary life and achievements here.
