A team of Canadian soldiers are hitting the road in a five-day relay to honour Canada's mission in Afghanistan and raise awareness about the programs available to ill and injured members of the Armed Forces.
The "Soldier On Afghanistan Relay" runs Sunday to Friday, with the 19-member team tackling a 290-kilometre route from Trenton, Ont., to Ottawa.
The team members -- consisting of 16 members of the Canadian Armed Forces, two RCMP officers and one civilian government employee -- all acquired a visible or non-visible injury or illness while serving in Afghanistan under Canadian command.
Cpl. Chris Klodt, who was shot in the neck in 2006 while on duty in Afghanistan, says participating in the relay is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
“This is an incredible experience, to be part of this,” he told CTV Ottawa. Despite becoming quadriplegic after the bullet shattered his spinal cord, Klodt says he loves Canada and “wouldn’t change anything.”
“I’d do it all over again,” he said.
Each member will run, jog, walk or wheel varying lengths of the route ranging from three to 12 kilometres. The team is scheduled to arrive in Ottawa on Friday, the National Day of Honour commemorating Canada's mission in Afghanistan, where 158 soldiers were killed.
During the relay, the team will be carrying a special baton containing the last Canadian flag to have flown at the International Security Assistance Force Headquarters in Kabul.
“It epitomizes what we did in Afghanistan,” Maj-Gen. David Miller told CTV Ottawa. “That is the last flag that flew as part of the Canadian mission in Afghanistan.”
The flag will be presented to Prime Minister Stephen Harper during the National Day of Honour ceremony on Parliament Hill.
Meanwhile, Maj. Jay Feyko, who was injured while serving in Afghanistan from 2003-2004, said the relay is a way to thank the country for its support during the 12-year mission.
"It's a way to really thank Canadians for their tremendous support when we came back," he told CTVNews.ca. "We don't have all the opportunities to do that in the military. Even though we came back injured or ill, Canadians have backed us 110 per cent and it's just overwhelming.
"This is a way to say thank you and also pay respects to the sacrifices of the nation. To me, it's a very nice way to close out the mission."
Feyko is the lead officer for Soldier On, a non-profit organization that works to help members of the Armed Forces adjust to their life after being injured or falling ill, by taking on active lifestyles through physical, recreational or sporting activities.
Feyko sustained several injuries in a suicide bombing in Kabul, including the loss of sight in his right eye and multiple shrapnel wounds through the right side of his body. His colleague, Cpl. Jamie Murphy, was tragically killed in the same attack.
He said that he hopes the relay inspires other members of the Armed Forces who have been injured to seek the support they need to carry on despite their ailments.
"Just because you're ill or injured doesn't mean that you have to stop living your life. You have to adapt to your new normal and carry on. Hopefully, we can demonstrate that to a few folks, not even just the military, but the rest of Canada," he said.
He added that he has used sport and recreation in his own rehabilitation and has seen how effective it can be. "It's something close to my heart and it does help," he said.
Here's a map from Soldier On showing the team's relay route. Click on each of the stops below to read more details.
Canadians are invited to come out and cheer on the team along the relay route.
They can also rally behind the team by sending messages of support to Soldier On's official Twitter feed and Facebook page.
With files from CTV Ottawa’s Claudia Cautillo
