MOUNTAIN LIFE - Blue Mountains | Summer 2020

41 words :: Laura Raimondi // photos :: Ryan Carter Last summer I joined a group of Canadian Armed Forces for a hike up the Cascade Trail at Blue Mountain Resort. This was no ordinary hike, but a special one meant to raise awareness for the Soldier On program, which supports military personnel past and present in overcoming and adapting to physical and mental health injury and illness. Blue donated the group a full Resort experience including accommodation and attraction access. “The purpose of Soldier On is to promote recovery using outdoor sports and activities,” Sgt. James (Jamie) MacIntyre, the Ontario representative for Soldier On, explained as we made our way through the Village towards the trailhead. “The program is available to serving and retired members who experienced an illness or a visible or non- visible injury while in service.” The program encourages military members to build an active lifestyle, gain new skills and connect with others experiencing similar circumstances. Founded in 2007, the publicly funded program has supported more than 5,000 members to date. The day commenced with a pre-hike stretch outside of South Base Lodge. Our group was headed up by Tessa the dog who, like us, was happy to be outside in the fresh air. My first hiking partner was Francesca Colussi who served in the military for 20 years before retiring in 2005. After participating in several Soldier On events she was inspired to take up new outdoor sports; she discovered a passion for road cycling and has participated in various races over the years. “The program provides a means for people to get out of their houses, and out of their heads,” she said. “Depression and trauma can cause you to retract from the world but the Soldier On program provides a venue for you to get outside and put yourself back out there.” We reached a clearing which allowed us to catch the views and our breath. We took a moment to look out across Georgian Bay, sipped from water bottles and discussed solutions to the avian invasion of Nottawasaga Island. As we continued our hike I met Yousef Shaath and asked him about his experience on the Timber Challenge High Ropes from the previous day and shared my thoughts on my own ropes adventures. “Sometimes it’s not that you are tired but what you believe you can or cannot do,” he counselled. I paused for a moment to consider this and figured it might be time for another round of high ropes. Our conversation then turned to life in the military. “It has its SOLDIER ON: HIKING AND HEALING A hike up Blue Mountain delivers more than cardio WELLNESS AT BLUE