My name is Cathleen McMahon.  I am the Tour and Event Manager on The Ride Across Canada.  I left my home on April 13th to help Paul Nichols organize a national veterans horseback relay to raise awareness of our contemporary veterans because I believe that Canada needs to hear what he has to say.

Please read his story:

I am Paul Nichols, a 46 year old Canadian veteran, who is horseback riding across the country with my wife, daughter and a small crew to reintroduce Canada to the face of Canadian Veterans. 

As a veteran who returned from war and joined back into civilian life, I know how difficult the transition can be and I know that if I was recognized as a veteran in my own community and supported during that time of transition, my story would be different.

As it was, I returned from my deployment and left the army to start a family with my wife in her hometown of Quesnel.  At first, I tried to attend veteran events, but after being told I was not a "true" veteran, I stopped going and retreated into my own head.

As a trained infantryman, my perception of the world is different.  I find it difficult to find trust in humanity when I see someone wearing a dark hoodie.  I find it difficult to be in a crowd or to sit with my back to the door.

Something as simple as decision making became difficult.  Not for me, but for when I had to have the patience to wait for a decision to be weighed... because in the face of combat, time can mean everything.

The only solace I found was in my horse and my fly rod.  I'd pack my fishing gear and saddle up Zoe and spend tonnes of hours working out my issues with the connection that she brings.  We faced many days and into the nights where the memories and voices in my head wouldn't let me go home. 

But even after dark, Zoe would find her path and get me there safely... sometimes with my face buried in her mane... trusting her to know the way.

After 20 years of retreating into myself, I went to Vancouver and was in a shop buying a gift for my wife.  The lady behind the counter recognized my regimental crest on my jacket and asked if I was in the army.

She had survived the seige of Sarajevo.  After two years of dodging sniper fire, burning all of their furniture for heat and starving... it was Canadian troops that broke the seige.  It was Canadian troops who got her out. 

She thanked me through her tears and that was life changing for me.  I'd never seen the result of our service before that moment.  All I had experienced were comments that disrespected the decision I had made to serve my country and I had become to question my service.

That all changed that day.

This 211 day relay invites veterans and serving members to join Paul for a lesson by his wife, Terry Nichols, a Therapeutic Riding Instructor and then to ride with him for a portion of his journey throughout their own community.

The goal is to Change the face of Canadian Veterans by re-introducing them to their own community.  Our organization believes that Canadians love their troops, but they just don't recognize them for who they are.

When the average person closes their eyes and pictures a veteran, the image that comes is of a 90-year-old man who fought in WWII.  This is a veteran. 

The problem is that so are the 70 and 80-year-olds who fought in Korea, and the 40, 50, and 60-year-olds who fought in Iraq, Kuwiat, Bosnia, Croatia and Kosovo.

And the wide range of ages of our soldiers who spent the last 14 years fighting in Afghanistan.

Every day, we have new veterans returning from peacekeeping missions involving multinational humanitarian efforts and our soldiers retire from the military after multiple deployments after 20, 30 or 40 years of service.

What we have to remember... is that when WWII ended, the 90 year-olds of today weren't 90 in 1945.  They were young men and women who had undiagnosed PTSD and Occupational Stress Injuries that were dubbed, "Shell Shock". 

At that time, families had sent four, five and more members to fight.  When they returned... when some returned... they came back to celebrations and other friends and family.

Today, our troops are gathered from a population of over 33 Million.  They are one and two people from a family... even from a community... and when they return, there is no parade.  There is no recognition and the support is limited within their own community. 

Our goal is to make communities aware of who their veterans are... young and old.  To celebrate them, increase their connection to the support system that exists for them and recognize them.

Please help change the face of Canadian veterans.  Help us support our veterans now, today, when they return as young men looking to find a future in the country they fought for.

Thank you,

Cathleen McMahon