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Helicopter Upsets Tennis Player With PTSD, Teammate Abandons Game to Comfort Him Using A Song

October 31, 2018

Thousands of spectators witnessed an extraordinary moment of teamwork and human compassion during a tennis match at the 2018 Invictus Games, an international sporting event for injured and disabled veterans.

UK competitor Paul Guest was comforted by Dutch teammate Edwin Vermetten after a helicopter flew overhead, triggering Guest's PTSD.

 

 

 

 

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This is the moment Invictus Games competitor Paul Guest was comforted by his tennis playing partner Edwin Vermetten, after a helicopter flying over triggered his PTSD. 💕 〰️ "[We were] just singing a song from #Frozen — Let It Go. We were singing it together just taking my mind off it talking rubbish in my ears and that's what it is all about," Guest said. 〰️ 📷 Getty Images: Invictus Games 2018 〰️ #InvictusGames #IG2018 #InvictusGames2018 #GameOnDownUnder #PTSD

A post shared by ABC News (@abcnews_au) on Oct 23, 2018 at 2:05am PDT

Vermetten noticed that Guest was visibly upset and immediately abandoned play so he could rush over and console him. They remained in an embrace as they spoke to each other. The raw moment left spectators and supporters in tears.

Guest regrouped to deliver the match-winning serve.

Speaking with reporters after the game, Vermetten revealed it was the theme song to Frozen that broke the tension from the helicopter noise.

"I took him by the face and said 'Look at me. We are a team so let it go'," said Vermetten. "Look into my eyes and sing the Frozen song, and we did. For him, this was the moment he let go, and he did, he literally let it all go."