As hundreds of first-year Royal Military College (RMC) cadets were put through a vigorous 12-station obstacle course on Friday, perhaps the College’s most recognizable graduate was on hand taking it all in.
“That first month is such a departure from what your life used to be,” Canadian Astronaut Col. Chris Hadfield said. “Today, the recruit obstacle course becomes, sort of the symbolic graduation of that time. It makes me laugh, it makes me smile.”
Col. Hadfield is in Kingston for RMC’s annual reunion weekend, where he graduated from some 35 years ago.
“The young officers of the military. I’m here to talk to them, learn a little bit from them,” Hadfield said. “But also let them ask me about the things I’ve had the chance to do in my life.”
One of those people was second-year cadet, Bradley Ryslki, who described an impromptu meeting with Hadfield as ‘a dream come true’.
“I told him that I aspire to be what he did. I want to be an astronaut like he did,” Rylski said. “I’m following the path he took as well, I’m doing mechanical engineering. Hopefully, that happens. It would be a dream come true.”
RMC Reunion weekend continues wraps up on Sunday.