In June, a local man will once again be travelling to Europe to take part in a unique event to support veterans coping with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Darrell Ingeveld, 31, is currently raising funds and awareness for Wounded Warriors Canada (WWC), which is a group that works with veterans and their families.
The initiative, dubbed the Battlefield Bike Ride, consists of veterans and their supporters paying tribute to those who have served. Last year's ride began at the Vimy Memorial in France, and ended 500 kilometres away in Holland, raising more than $500,000 for life-saving programs. This year, the team will cycle the route that Canadians took through Italy in their struggle to help liberate Europe during the Second World War.
Ingeveld is aware of this first-hand as his grandfather was a veteran of the Italian campaign, so he has a heart for veterans who return home and find civilian life a struggle.
One of the programs that WWC supports is Can Praxis. Operating near Rocky Mountain House, this program utilizes horse therapy for couples dealing with PTSD.
"One of the challenges for these men and women is that they have learned to be very emotionally ëreactive' and it creates a lot of tension between spouses. Oftentimes they can't ësee it' themselves," said Ingeveld.
By working with horses and seeing how they react to them by instinct, as well as extensive psychological counselling, they're able to develop tools to better manage their condition and create better harmony in the home.
Ingeveld is accepting donations to help with the ride at 587-998-7111 or [email protected].
Visit www.bbr16.ca and www.woundedwarriors.ca for information about the ride as well as other organizations that Wounded Warriors supports.
