On March 2, a team of eight Canadian runners comprising first responders and military personnel completed an 800-kilometre run from the northernmost tip of Vancouver Island down to Victoria. The team spent eight days running through numerous communities, raising funds and awareness for Wounded Warriors Canada (WWC) mental health programs.
The team set a fundraising goal of C$250,000 and, at the time of publication, had raised 96 per cent of the target. Among the eight participants were Comox Valley paramedic Francesca Lott, Comox Valley RCMP officer Paul Jones, Royal Canadian Air Force member Dan Bodden, retired Canadian Armed Forces dental officer Nathalie Butler and City of Victoria Deputy Chief Jason Laidman.
“Our goal is to help the people next door, your coworkers, and folks in your community,” wrote Wounded Warrior Run director Jacqueline Zweng on the message behind the run. “Every dollar raised stays right here on Vancouver Island, supporting mental health programs for first responders, veterans and their families through WWC.”
On the fourth day of their journey, the team made a special stop in Comox for a short group run with RCMP members and military personnel from CFB Comox. The team divided the 800-km challenge into eight to 10-km legs, with runners alternating each leg.
All of the participants understand firsthand the struggles of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Lott, who has worked as a paramedic in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, told Victoria News she had witnessed numerous traumatic incidents. Her goal in this challenge was to help break the stigma surrounding trauma and encourage those struggling to seek support.
“There’s always been that old mentality, especially with trauma-exposed professions, where you see things and you just ‘suck it up and keep going,’ and you kind of bury those feelings,” Lott explained. “But it’s OK to start talking about it and understanding what’s happening to us physiologically and mentally. It’s OK for people to be vulnerable and share their feelings after they’ve been exposed to traumatic incidents.”
Wounded Warriors Canada (WWC) is a national mental health service dedicated to supporting trauma-exposed organizations, professionals and their families. They offer services that combine education, counselling and training to help individuals build resilience and recover from post-trauma injuries, focusing on serving Canadian Armed Forces members, veterans, first responders and their families.
The team of first responders and military personnel received a large warm welcome when they arrived at Victoria’s Market Square on Sunday, March 2. “It’s been absolutely unreal,” Lott said. “Every single member of this team is amazing. They’ve all gone through their own traumas, and they’ve all been brave enough to speak about them.”
If you’d like to make a contribution to the team and WWC, you can do so here.
