You hear stories of veterans that are living out on the street, not getting help, homeless; but you almost never hear the stories of the vets suffering in silence. PTSD (posttraumatic stress disorder) is an illness affecting many seasoned veterans in Canada; it leads to a high number of suicides and cases where the veteran just cannot take the stress anymore.
PTSD can occur when an individual goes through a very traumatic experience like bullying, losing close friends or family members, or just major stress. In the case of soldiers, they may experience “survivor’s guilt”, where they remained alive and others perished in the field. It’s very difficult for many veterans to adapt to civilian life after being out in the field for so long and getting accustomed to a dangerous way of life.
Communities for Veterans, Ride Across Canada is a non-profit foundation crossing Canada on horseback to raise awareness of the physical and mental health challenges of Canadian Veterans. Paul Nichols and his wife Terry are spearheading the 190-210 day ride all the way across our great nation. Nichols is a former Calgary highlander and served with the 2nd Battalion Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry in Medak Pocket operation in Croatia in 1993. Nichols passed through Virden Tuesday, June 30 and even stayed to ride in the Canada Day parade alongside his wife.
Along their ride, Nichols hopes to find veterans and listen to their stories, spreading the word on what they have done. They will be giving the veterans quick horseriding lessons if they are able, and after the lessons they will take them along for a short portion of the ride. They hope to speak to over 700 Canadian veterans on their journey.
