Wounded veterans hit the links at golf tournament for soldier sports therapy

A group aiding wounded Canadian Forces members and veterans through the power of sport is hoping to raise some big money for the cause at a golf tournament north of Toronto.

“It’s really helping them get back to the new normal and get through some of the challenges that are associated with an illness or an injury,” said Maj. Jay Fenko, head of the Soldier On program.

They hope to raise $100,000 on the links from the charity tournament Monday at the Beacon Hall Golf Club in Aurora. It’s the third year of the charity event.

Soldier On uses sports to assist rehabilitation efforts for active and retired soldiers suffering from physical or psychological wounds.

“Sport provides kind of that gateway to escape for some of those challenges, and what we want to do is inspire people to not feel sorry or get down on themselves… it’s OK to have challenges,” Fenko said.

“The one thing that sports does is it brings people together so if somebody’s injured in the military a lot of times they’re taken away from that Esprit de Corps and that camaraderie that they’re used to their whole military career.”

The tournament will see an injured or ill Forces member paired up with three other golfers to play through all 18 holes. The teams are sponsored.

The program, which is run under and receives partial funding from the military, has raised $2.5 million thus far, with the funds going to the purchase of sporting equipment and to get wounded warriors

Retired Sgt. Chris Richard knows first-hand how sports can help. He was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder after three tours of duty in the 90s, and had physical injuries barring him from the sports he used to love.

Then he discovered the program. “It gave me hope again because I wasn’t very physically active, as you can tell by my midsection,” said Richard, who now works with a social support program for current and former CF personnel.

“Soldier On gave me another opportunity to get out, you know, in a beautiful place like this and play golf and also to come to this camp. It was awesome you know to connect again to soldiers.”