From Struggle to Strength: Getting Ready for a Transformative Nahanni River Journey

millerheather
7 days ago
3 min read

Written by WO Katherine Vick

In 2023, we were posted to Borden, Ontario—one of the busiest military bases in Canada. That December, just two days after our work Christmas party, one of my members, someone I knew was struggling with his mental health, died by suicide. His death shook me to my core and took a serious toll on my own mental health. I was advised to start trauma therapy right away. But before I could begin treatment, I found out we were being posted. This time to Winnipeg. I was devastated at first. I was finally ready to seek help, and now we were being uprooted from our family support system. Once we arrived, it took four long months just to get in to see a trauma therapist off-base.

I knew something had to change. I recognized something was wrong when I started reacting with anger to situations that didn’t warrant it. I was constantly exhausted, irritable, and sad. It wasn’t the life I wanted, and it was affecting everyone around me. My kids were witnessing outbursts, and I felt like I had lost control of my emotions. That was my wake-up call. I needed help. Not just for me, but for my family. I want my children to grow up with memories of a happy, present mom. They deserve that, and I do too.

When my best friend and fellow Military Police member, Nicole Laidlaw, encouraged me to apply for the True Patriot Love all-women’s Nahanni River expedition, I hesitated. She had participated in the Baffin Island trip years earlier and said it changed her life. I didn’t know if I had it in me—but I’m so glad I listened to her. This trip is helping me reconnect with the person I used to be before everything came crashing down. It’s given me a spark I didn’t know I was missing. A reason to get up, to train, to focus. It’s surrounded me with strong, supportive women and has become a powerful outlet for healing, strength, and rediscovery.

The team consists of an all-female team- 9 Military veterans, 10 civilian members and 7 guides. We will be leaving for Nahanni River 22 August- 7 September and padding 240kms. Physically, I’ve been putting in the work, carving out time for myself, prioritizing my health, and getting back into shape. Mentally, I’m ready. I need this. I’m a little nervous, but mostly excited. My biggest hope is that everyone on the team connects well and supports one another. The Military Police is still a predominantly male environment, and I’m usually the only woman in my unit. So being part of an all-women team for two weeks, camping and canoeing, will be a new experience. Everyone I’ve met so far has been great, and I’m hopeful this will be both empowering and unforgettable.

We recently received our donation links, and within the first two weeks, I had already surpassed my $1,000 goal. Fundraising isn’t mandatory for military members, but this cause is so close to my heart. True Patriot Love is covering everything for the Military members—flights, gear, accommodations—and the support they’ve provided has been mind-blowing. I want to give back in the most meaningful way I can.

If I could share one message with anyone who might be struggling, it would be this: talk to someone—anyone. Get out of your own head. We have to break the stigma around mental health. You’re not going to lose your job or your deployments by reaching out. What you will gain is your life back. Don’t suffer in silence. You deserve to be happy. And your family deserves to see you happy too. Asking for help isn’t weakness—it’s the bravest thing you can do.