On August 11, a guy with a bike and a dream will be leaving Wawanesa and heading out on a 1000+ kilometer cycling journey to Lethbridge, Alberta. (Sgt.) Rob Nederlof says, “I’m not doing this for my own health. I am doing this for the MENTAL health of others.” The goal of his journey - to raise funds and awareness for Wounded Warriors Canada and the Support Dog Program.
“As a sergeant in the military I have seen too many people suffering from PTSD and other mental health issues, and rather than simply be a witness I want to contribute to the healing of these men and women. My goal is to raise $5000, devoted to pay for part of the $15,000 cost of raising and training a PTSD support dog,” says Nederlof
His wife Marina will be driving the support vehicle. She says her husband, “a veteran of both Bosnia and Afghanistan, has witnessed the debilitating effects of PTSD and how it rips away securities we all tend to take for granted every day.”
Many situations can trigger someone with PTSD, says Marina. “Imagine not being able to do groceries because you might hear a shopping cart crash into a shelf and you know it would send you spiraling into a cage of fear because you don’t know what that loud sound was. What about fireworks? They happen in the dark and sound just like attacking rocket fire.
“How about a paramedic not wanting to get near a bleeding person because they once tried to help someone but were attacked instead, so now they avoid being near any people at all? Or the dispatch operator who hears a phone ring and their adrenalin physically takes over their body and they can no longer move when that sound happens? “
But a PTSD support dog can help traumatized people learn to live with their fears and physical reactions.
“If a dog will stop someone from giving up on life, it is worth every muscle strain, anxiety filled interview, and uncertainty Rob and I can give.”
Nederlof will be riding no matter the weather.
“He is expecting some headwind since we are going westward, and he hates it, but he is ready to do whatever it takes to make each stop each day. Only extreme weather will stop him,” says Marina.
Throughout the ups and downs of the road, its an uphill journey westward in all types of weather, however he’s a seasoned cyclist.
Marina explains how the idea came about:
“Last year in August, Rob went on a casual bike ride from our home to Melita. Along the way we had a passerby ask if we were raising money for anything. We had not thought about anything like that personally, but it struck a chord and it got us thinking… Rob said he is very passionate about cycling and he could easily do a distance trip and raise money for something, so why not?”
After researching Wounded Warriors Canada, PTSD Support Dog Program they knew this was the charity for them.
To support their efforts for the PTSD Support Dog Program, go to www.facebook.com/PrairieThousand/
