From Boots to Blades: The Relentless Spirit of Sergeant Holly-Anne Young

By Martin Zeilig

The mid-morning sun cast soft shadows across the backyard of the house Holly Young shares with her daughter, son-in-law, and three energetic grandchildren.

Parked just beyond the garage door sat a charmingly retro camper—equal parts prairie grit and wanderlust, much like its owner. Holly waved her three dogs—Foxy Cleopatra, Scout and Panda -- inside, adjusted the hem of her flowing green dress—Fleetwood Mac lyrics stitched just below the band’s iconic logo—and sat with a warm, knowing grin.

“I loved that song ‘Sisters of the Moon’ since I was young,” she said. “The mood, the mystery—I guess it’s always spoken to something in me.”

On June 19, 120 friends and colleagues gathered at Underdogs Sports Bar to celebrate her retirement after 19 years of service in the Canadian Armed Forces.

But the true measure of her journey was etched not just in speeches or medals, but in the tattoos that dance across her skin—each one a quiet narrative.

Her arms bear a welder’s mask in tribute to her father’s trade and the nickname “H Bomb,” earned for her fiery spirit. One leg is home to a banana tattoo on her calf.

“It started as a joke,” she laughed, “and somehow, it stuck—like me, really.”

The most powerful ink lives across her back: a Second World War bomber plane in flight, honoring her grandfather, an RCAF tail gunner. “He had courage I can only dream of,” she said softly. “I carry him with me—literally.”

Born and raised in Winnipeg, Holly's roots are complex and proud.

“My mom was Ojibwe, a ’60s Scoop survivor,” she told me. “She passed in 2019. My dad is of Scottish descent, possibly with some English ancestry. He’s still up in Lockport.”

She didn’t discover her Indigenous heritage until her mid-teens.

“It was like learning the rest of my story,” she said.

That realization led her to taekwondo, a discipline she practiced for 26 years, and the North American Indigenous Games, where she both competed and co-managed Manitoba’s team.

Before joining the Forces, she was raising three children alone—one of whom faced a life-threatening lung condition.

“He was in the hospital for years,” she said. “Then one morning, he woke up and said, ‘Why don’t you become a nurse, Mom? Help kids whose parents can’t be here like you are.’”

With that, she enrolled in the Aboriginal Students’ Access Program and began her Bachelor of Nursing. “I still have a year and a half to go,” she said. “And I’ll finish it.”

In 2006, Holly enlisted with 17 Field Ambulance as a medic. She stood out for her leadership, precision, and calm under fire.

In 2008, she was named Soldier of the Year, recognized “for your professionalism, commitment and job excellence,” as the citation from Chief Warrant Officer R.K. Hassan reads.

“I was shocked, honestly,” Holly admitted. “But proud. Mostly proud.”

She deployed in training operations across Canada—including snow-covered Shilo and sun-drenched Wainwright—and abroad in joint U.S. exercises in Georgia and Utah. There, she completed airborne qualification, racking up 36 parachute jumps.

“I screamed during the first one,” she laughed. “But by jump five, I was hooked.”

Colleagues admired her organizational ferocity—borderline obsessive, she admits. On one operation, when someone rearranged her meticulously sorted field supplies, the “pit bull in a Chihuahua body” (as one commander dubbed her) went full throttle. “Let’s just say, it got handled,” she smirked.

She was equally legendary in hockey.

Coach LCol Dave Treanor recalled watching her fly down the ball hockey court like a force of nature.

“She turned a game around with one play,” he said. “I told the bench, ‘That’s why Holly’s on our team.’”

That shift not only rallied the team to silver but also earned her unshakable respect.

Holly also skated with the 17 Wing Rondelles, Winnipeg’s military women’s team, and served as trainer for the Manitoba U17s at Nationals.

“That goalie needed help,” she said. “So I patched him up with K Tape and encouragement. That’s what I do.”

She capped her hockey career skating in the Jets Alumni vs. Soldier On charity game.

“I teared up during warmups,” she said. “It was pure magic.”

But it wasn’t just her teammates she served.

Along with the 17 Wing Defence Aboriginal Advisory Group, Holly helped create the Sweat Lodge at 17 Wing’s Wellness Centre, and coordinated donations for evacuees displaced from Split Lake First Nation, who were being housed in the arena at Sagkeeng First Nation during the recent wildfires. Her home continues to be a haven for animals, including horses (but not in the city).

“If there’s space, there’s love,” she shrugged. “Always has been.”

The quiet pride of her career is evident, but it’s family that brings the biggest smile.

“I had an awesome, fun career in the CAF,” she says, eyes misting slightly.

“Being a mom, though,—that’s the title that matters most.”

She never missed her daughter Mercedes’ graduation, even if it meant showing up on two hours’ sleep. “You make it happen. That’s the job.”

As she charts the next chapter, she carries with her the words from a letter sent by Prime Minister Mark Carney: “You may take great pride in your commitment to defend our nation... I express my sincere thanks and appreciation for your efforts as an esteemed member of our Defence Forces.”

And when Holly walks into a room now, there’s a moment—a pause—a hush. The long green dress trails behind her like smoke, and the tattoos whisper stories to anyone paying close enough attention.

“I like intense silences,” she said. “That’s when you really feel the energy.”

And Holly Young has never been short on that as she anticipates the future and whatever comes next.