Soldier On

Awareness of the importance that sport can play in helping to rehabilitate injured servicemen and servicewomen has grown over the years. The Soldier On program was founded in 2007 as a joint initiative of the Canadian Paralympic Committee and the Department of National Defence that aims to use sport to improve the quality of life of current and former Canadian Armed Forces personnel who have suffered major injuries.

The program, now administered by Canadian Armed Forces Personnel and Family Support Services, has helped Sergeant Steve Daniel obtain the necessary equipment to become a world class arms-only rower and it is also helping others. Captain Kimberley Fawcett is an Afghanistan Veteran who lost her leg in a motor vehicle accident back in Canada in 2006 that also took the life of her infant son. Fawcett is training as a triathlete, and has already enjoyed great success in this grueling sport combining swimming, cycling and running.

Fawcett’s own words best sum up the attitude of injured Canadian Armed Forces Veterans persevering in the face of such challenges:

“I’m always thinking of ways that you can achieve what people think is the impossible...”