Fired at age 59 = Hello PCT thru-hike!

I have been a soldier, police officer or commander of an armed security team for the last 36 years. I thought I had a few more good years left, but a change of government from right to left, and I was out the door! Hit me like a ton of bricks and just in time for an early Christmas present.

Unemployed homeless man

As many unemployed bums like me do, I was binge-watching YouTube at 3am. Among my dozens of tactical soldier videos, the YouTube algorithm snuck in a video titled “My PCT Tour.” It took me about ONE SECOND, tops, to fully commit to doing this epic hike.

Well, how does this work: permits, duration, time, capacity, logistics, cost? SO MANY questions and less than four months to go!

Before I get into all that (another blog post may be best), let me back up and explain why it only took me ONE SECOND to make this life-changing commitment. Two reasons.

TWO REASONS

1. A full hike was already on my overflowing to-do list.
2. It was arguably better than returning to fight on the front lines of the war in Ukraine.

THE BACKSTORY

Many years ago, my daughter competed and was selected for the FBI Youth Academy Leadership program at FBI Headquarters in Quantico, Virginia. Being Canadian made succeeding among the many highly qualified American applicants an even greater achievement. So, of course, the proud parents flew out to see her graduate on the big stage. Before graduating, we went to Washington, DC; What a great city with so much to see. We also headed to the Blue Ridge Mountains. No joke, as we pulled into the park in our rental car, the radio, tuned by the previous driver, started playing: John Denver. The song was titled, Take me home country roads which, for all you young people, was a popular song at the time about the Blue Ridge Mountains. So we hiked Old Rag Mountain and some amazing waterfall ravine hikes, and the whole time we saw these emaciated, dirty hikers in little single file lines in the green tunnel of the Appalachian Trail. That’s when I added a hike to my bucket list. To be clear, I could live to be 300 years old and never empty that bucket, but hey, it was there now and it might die with me broken. So when the YouTube algorithm showed that video about the rise of the PCT, I simply had to reach into the bucket and, being unemployed, there was no reason not to pull it out.

President Obama thanks his protection team

UKRAINE WAR
So the second reason is a little harder to explain. I have always found value in serving others, but it was a long road to discover it. After 4 years studying Engineering at university, I said enough of that, I asked my friends to backpack with me through Europe and they told me there was no opportunity, no money, no time. So I signed up for year five, wrote my exams and left the next day. For four months I backpacked through Europe, sleeping in parks, on beaches, traveling on night trains, and sitting in my seat. I have never stayed in hostels or hotels. It was truly Europe on $5 a day (well, that’s $5 in 1980s dollars). Anyway, as soon as I landed, I left University and immediately joined the Canadian Infantry. I prospered. Not seeing my knees last 30 years in this trade and being addicted to making a difference, I applied to be a police officer and was selected. So I did that for 30 years and had a fantastic, rewarding career. From trying to stop thugs in the streets to protecting every Canadian prime minister for two decades and American presidents, including Obama.

But I have to admit that Paul McCartney was my favorite of all the VIPs. Cool guy, no doubt. Scratch that, Queen Elizabeth II was the most dedicated, selfless and genius of them all!

RETIRED
Anyway, there I am, retired skiing in the Rocky Mountains with my kids, and bam, the Russians actually invade a sovereign UN country, as if the rules don’t matter. Well, here we go. I don’t like bullies, so I gathered 900 kg of aid and went to join the Ukrainian army. I did exactly that and after a year in Ukraine and serving on the front lines, I was «cooked.» Unlike my Ukrainian brothers and sisters, I could come home whenever I wanted. However, I couldn’t just say, «Bye, I’m going home to hike, canoe and ski, so I delayed leaving for months. Then a fancy government job in Canada came up and they offered it to me. So I took it as a sign and resigned from the Ukrainian military, but not without the great pain of feeling like a deserter and abandoning an unfulfilled mission. The soldiers I served with were normal people the day before the invasion; none of them were soldiers. professionals, they were just trying to live. They live in peace and freedom. They are the true heroes of that fight. They can’t come home whenever they want. There was a common saying: «if the Russians return home, the war is over, if the Ukrainians return home, there is no Ukraine.»

Amazing volunteers of the Ukrainian army show their gratitude for international support (I am the central front) dsfbgds.

DISMISSED
I came home and found a great job with great people. My heart was in Ukraine, but my brain was here and excited about this new challenge.

My work as a commander allowed me to meet this centenary hero who showed me the boots in which he landed on D-Day and continued walking to Germany in

As is common in elections, parties change and bosses change. Well, that happened, and without warning or reason, I was told not to return to my office and that my personal belongings would be mailed to my home.

There you have it, you and I are now at the part of the story where I was awake at 03:00 watching YouTube videos.

YES YOU CAN

Well, I want to improve the PCT, yes, but I want to serve and I want to make a difference. Help me make a difference, help yourself make a difference, and if you can, please donate using the links below. I am paying for my PCT increase 100% out of pocket and have no support or sponsorship from anyone. I will also match the first $2000 donated to the charities listed below, which are links specific to my PCT charity campaign.

**Canadian tax receipt issued by a charity**

International charity based in Ukraine:

Brave heroes from all walks of life, simply trying to live free.

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