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A Canadian soldier is preparing to make a bicycle trek across the prairies this summer in an effort to help his comrades.
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Sgt. Rob Nederlof is slated to ride 1,000 kilometers from CFB Edmonton to Minnedosa, Man., about 210 kilometers west of Winnipeg.
Along the way, he’ll be raising money for the Wounded Warrior PTSD Service Dogs program that pairs service animals with veterans and first responders dealing with post traumatic stress disorder.
“It’s a very common thing,” Nederlof said of PTSD among veterans and those still serving. “A lot of people even don’t recognize it. Like they’re just like, ‘Oh, it’s just normal. This is the way it is.’ ”
Nederlof, who now works as the vehicle tech sergeant supervisor at CFB Shilo in Manitoba, personally knows the toll PTSD can take after serving two tours in Afghanistan and one in Bosnia.
“I’ve recognized it. I’ve dealt with it. And I still deal with it.”
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He said cycling has helped him handle the symptoms, making it a natural choice as a way to raise money and awareness.
“Biking is one way to help my healing process.”
He’s hoping to raise money to train more service dogs, which can assist people struggling with PTSD.
“The dogs are specifically trained to find out what the triggers are for the person who’s dealing with it,” he said.
This is the second year Nederlof will make a cross-prairie trip after riding from his home in Wawanesa, Man. to Lethbridge last summer.
He expects this year’s journey to take about nine days and welcomes anyone who wants to join him on the ride.
“If anybody wants to join us for a day, I have no issues with biking with somebody.”
He said he’s been planning his journey since January. The ride starts Aug. 11 and Nederof is setting a goal of raising $7,000 by the time it ends.
“It can actually help the person get better,” he said of the PTSD dog program. “There’s a lot of people that don’t know what kind of avenue to go through.”