Jelly Roll Inspires At The Invictus Games
Jelly Roll wrapped up the Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025 over the weekend (2/19) at Rogers Arena. The finale brought together 500 competitors from 23 countries after 11 days of competition.
Jelly said from the stage before going into the audience to perform, “I am honored to stand in front of some of the greatest and strongest people across the entire world tonight. My name is Jason ‘Jelly Roll’ DeFord, and this song is called ‘I Am Not Okay.'”
He added, “But I want to be clear right now about what’s happening on this stage. I am an overweight man with a microphone. The real heroes are the athletes and the families that are in this building right now.”
Making history, this year was the first to feature winter sports. Veterans and active duty military personnel who suffered wounds, injuries, and illness showed their talents across various competitive events.
Speaking about the competition’s future, founder Prince Harry stated: “I wish that we could close this down because there wasn’t a need for it, but as long as there’s a need for it, we will keep it going.”
Since 2014, the games have helped veterans and active duty military members through sports challenges. Athletics serve as a way toward recovery and building strength. Jelly Roll’s performance of his mental health song hit home. His personal journey — losing 140 pounds — added depth to his message about overcoming struggles.
RELATED: Jelly Roll Shares His Heart and Thoughts On Faith
Jelly has had an incredible few years and has become a music superstar with acting in his sights, including TV and maybe someday movies.
As Jelly’s star continues to shine, the Nashville native talked with Nashville Lifestyle Magazine about what he would tell his younger self. He said, “I would tell my younger self that it’s a blip on the radar right now. Don’t overthink it, you’re just in a very small season of your life. I would tell my 30-year-old self that, not even just my 12-year-old self.”
He continued that he would go back and tell his 33-year-old self, “Just relax. You’re not going to conquer the world today; take your time.” That would be his biggest message: “remain hopeful.” Jelly went on to say he’s lost 100 pounds and he’s “going to lose another 100 this year” and he’s “really going to focus on a big transformation.”
The country star noted that there was a “big change that happened in my heart over the years,” but his body hadn’t caught up to the change in his heart yet, and “it’s catching up.” He concluded, “Once I look like the change that people know has happened, I expect the message to be more received. That’s the goal.”
