By Pam Pardy
Canadian Armed Forces veteran Chad Kennedy has experienced tremendous hardship. After serving his country, Chad transitioned into a career in law enforcement, working with the Alberta Sheriff Highway Patrol. His many emergencies on the scene as a first responder began to take a heavy emotional and psychological toll.
“For years, I battled persistent anger and debilitating anxiety until I finally reached a breaking point and sought professional help in 2018. I was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and anxiety – invisible wounds that had been silently ravaging my mental health and overall well-being,” Chad admits.
The trauma continued to mount when, in July 2020, Chad responded to a devastating incident in the Canadian Rockies: a tour bus had crashed, and lives were lost.
“You just keep pushing forward. You don’t talk about feelings or anything because of that stigma. And now I was seeing death again at this horrible bus crash. It was finally too much.”
Despite the support of his loved ones, Chad realized that those closest to him could not truly understand the torment raging within.
“I was in a place where I couldn’t talk about things, so I developed a suicide plan in my head, but at the same time, I didn’t want to let people down by succumbing to that PTSD demon,” he admits.
In what he calls ‘a drunken stupor,’ instead of ending his life, he announced on social media that he would walk across the country to raise awareness of PTSD and start the conversation with his fellow public safety professionals and those in the military. The next morning, the declaration he had made the night before had become a purpose and a mission.
“I felt this was something I needed to do, and I needed to hold myself accountable and carry through with it. I didn’t know what it was going to look like or what it was going to be like, but I knew we had a problem in this country if I couldn’t talk about what I’d gone through in the workplace because of the stigma. Something needed to be done about it.”
Resolved to turn his pain into purpose, Chad set his sights on planning his ambitious vision: to walk across Canada alongside fellow warriors, raising awareness of PTSD and mental health issues plaguing public safety personnel, military members, and veterans.
Through this powerful journey, he hoped to not only raise vital funds for treatment but also establish educational programs to help loved ones better comprehend the invisible scars that so many of these heroes carry.
“Walking from Cranbrook, British Columbia, to the East Coast was a great plan, but I still hadn’t found my purpose. I couldn’t define myself. And it wasn’t until just outside of Ottawa in 2022 that I found my purpose. My purpose is to help other people,” he shares, explaining that it’s like when someone is feeling ill and finally has a diagnosis.
“Whether it’s physical or psychological – when we have an answer as to what is going on, there’s almost that relief. It’s like, yes, now I know what’s going on, and I can move forward. It took me a lot of kilometres and a lot of steps to have that one moment that helped me feel better. After that, I was able to open up more about my story.”
In the law enforcement world, there’s talk about the brotherhood and the sisterhood, he adds, but a lot of people will leave the room when the talk turns to mental health.
“That’s something I think we still need to work on as a society because we’re human beings. Our uniform doesn’t define us. I still have friends who died by suicide. A lot of us do in this community. And post-traumatic stress happens and we are afraid to talk. We’re afraid to be judged. We’re supposed to be these superheroes in uniform, but if we’re not taking care of ourselves, there’s no way we can take care of anybody else,” he says.
With the first cross-country walk completed, Chad planned for the next. He says that 2025 will indeed be an epic year as the team once again travels through Eastern Canada, starting this time in St. John’s and finishing their first part of that journey on the picturesque shores of Pelee Island, Ontario.
“This east-to-west trek will shine a spotlight on the essential work of our public safety personnel, while also providing much-needed support, resources, and community to the families who stand beside them.”
He’s excited to ‘step off’ in St. John’s, he said, mostly because his last experience in this province was so positive.
“Newfoundland is the definition of community. They are people who take care of people, whether they’re within their community or they come from away. The hospitality there was so amazing,” he says.
At the heart of this epic journey is Chad himself, whose personal mission to inspire others to speak openly about the profound impact of mental health challenges, PTSD, and operational stress injuries within the public safety, military, and veteran communities, is a powerful one.
His vision to walk across Canada and share his raw, vulnerable story of trauma, healing, and resilience may have been born in a moment of crisis – mere moments before he planned to take his own life on August 2, 2020 – but that vision has already helped others start the conversation.
“I hope this next cross-country trek will empower more individuals to break the silence, encourage others to reach out for help, and let people know that they are surrounded by a community that understands, empathizes, and is committed to their wellbeing.”
All profits raised will directly benefit mental health initiatives tailored to supporting public safety personnel, military members, and veterans, including those living in Canada’s northern territories with the powerful rallying cry of “#neveralone.” For more, visit www.seatoseaforptsd.ca
