Stag Special

For the third consecutive summer, a military mechanic from CFB Shilo is cycling 1,000 kilometres across the prairies and through to the Canadian Shield to raise funds for the Wounded Warriors PTSD Service Dog program.
Sgt Rob Nederlof from CFB Shilo’s Base Maintenance will leave Saskatoon, SK, Aug. 11, with Aug. 19 his scheduled arrival in Kenora, Ont.
This third ride is being called To The Shield, but continues to be an integral part of the Prairie Thousand’s epic contribution which saw Sgt Nederlof ride 2,000 kilometres on his bicycle across Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba in the past.
His goal then was to draw attention to mental health issues of veterans and EMS workers while raising money to help fund the support dog program.
This year, Sgt Nederlof will cycle 1,000 kilometres across the prairies through to the Canadian Shield in honour of the men and women who serve Canadians – veterans and EMS workers.
“The men and women who stand behind the shield — the military, police, EMS workers — it’s for them that we do this,” offered his wife Marina Nederlof, the support vehicle driver.
This summer’s ride has been named To The Shield to honour not only the route into the Canadian Shield from the prairies, but also as a dedication ‘to the shield’ in honour of those who serve Canadians, explained Marina Nederlof.
Training for the 1,000-kilometre fundraiser began the fourth week of April after Sgt Nederlof was deployed domesticall for 10 weeks in the Arctic supporting military training. He cycles 52 kilometres every day to CFB Shilo from nearby Town of Wawanesa, where he resides with Marina and their family.
In 2021, when Sgt Nederlof kicked off the Prairie Thousand fundraiser, he peddled 1,000 kilometres from Wawanesa to Lethrbridge, AB, with the goal of raising $5,000.
The following summer, he cycled 1,000 kilometres from Edmonton to Minnedosa, MB. His goal was to raise $7,000.
To date, the Nederlofs have raised $53,397.59 — $41,397.59 above the original goal of $12,000 — in two years.
This year, his goal is to $10,000.
“We are always conservative,” said Marina Nederlof. “We don’t go into this with any expectations. We appreciate any money we raise for the PTSD Support Dog program.”
Demand for Wounded Warrior’s PTSD Service Dogs has outstripped the funding capacity to train and pair service dogs with ill, injured veterans and First Responders, according to Wounded Warrior’s information found online.
Visit https://woundedwarriors.ca/our-programs/ptsd-service-dogs/
The average cost to train a dog is $15,000 and the training takes two years.
Wounded Warriors Canada national partnerships director Steven Topham recognizes the outstanding effort which went into raising just shy of $54,000 by the Nederlofs.
“When we consider what that means on the average cost of certifying a dog … that right away, three or four people have been impacted, and families have been positively impacted through the support of Rob and Marina,” he said in a telephone interview.
He drew attention to the conversations the Nederlofs have with people during their journey.
“It’s the conversations they’re having in these communities,” said Topham. “There are services in these communities and they’re engaging in these conversations with what we do as an organization. They’re raising significant awareness to the people who need the service. People want to help.”
By the end of August, Nederlof and his wife will have cycled and driven 3,000 kilometres for the support dog program.
“It’s a cause that’s near and dear to our hearts,” Sgt Nederlof said.
While the sergeant has his own experience with PTSD after three overseas tours, which included Afghanistan and Bosnia, he knows people who also suffer worse than him.
“It’s always worth it, as hard as it can be, to just go out and push past your comfort zone and talk to people. You get it back in so many ways,” said Sgt Nederlof.
The Nederlofs have seen a lot on their journeys and it’s had an impact on the Manitoba couple.
“We have a different perspective on thinking first what somebody else could be going through and never making judgements,” said Marina Nederlof.
Prairie Thousand – To The Shield welcomes cadets, scout troops, or any other organization wishing to ride along with Sgt Nederlof as he cycles through their towns.
To contact Prairie Thousand, e-mail prairiethousand@gmail.com or the contact page on www.prairiethousand.com website or message on the Prairie Thousand Facebook page.

QUICK FACTS

• While he has not used a support dog to manage his PTSD, he knows people who have. “The support dog is aware of when its owner is about to experience an attack,” said Sgt Nederlof.

• Sgt Nederlof wants to make an impact on those who are suffering from the devastating occupational trauma to their brain and raise money to help fund support dogs for veterans, First Responders and their families.

• Wounded Warriors, is a mental health service provider which provides a range of clinically facilitated programs specifically developed to support veterans and First Responders and their families. He bicycled from Wawanesa, MB to Lethbridge, AB, a distance of 1,000 kms roughly. He’s been riding since he was a kid.

• The Wounded Warrior PTSD Service Dogs program has been in existence since 2012. They have contributed more than $3-million to training and pairing of PTSD service dogs according to its website. The price tag to train a support dog is $15,000.

• To support Prairie Thousand – To The Shield, tag along or to connect with the Prairie Thousand team, check out Sgt’s Nederlof’s Facebook page www.facebook.com/PrairieThousand

• A QR code on the page directly links you to the webpage, www.prairiethousand.weebly.com.

• For more information about Wounded Warriors Canada visit www.woundedwarriors.ca

• Sgt Nederlof is also on Twitter: @prairiethousand

• Here’s a breakdown of Sgt Nederlof’s travel plans: Aug 11 – Saskatoon to Davidson; Aug 12 – Davidson to Lumsden; Aug 13 – Lumsden to Grenfell via Regina; Aug 14 – Grenfell to Elkhorn; Aug 15 – Elkhorn to Carberry via Virden and Brandon; Aug 16 – Carberry to Portage; Aug 17 – Portage to Winnipeg; Aug 18 – Winnipeg to Falcon Lake; and Aug 19 – Falcon Lake to Kenora

Students in the photography class at Crocus Plains Regional Secondary School in Brandon, MB, put their cameras together and donated their photographic talents to shoot and produced Prairie Thousand – To The Shield promotional photos. Those involved included Sofia Alvardo, Brooke Breemersch and Elena Mason. Base Maintenance’s Sgt Rob Nederlof puts plenty of kilometres on his bike training for his Prairie Thousand – To The Shield adventure. This includes commuting from Wawanesa to work at CFB Shilo, and back, after work. You can also find him on nearby highways, including Hwy 1, when he’s training on weekends. Here, he leaves the south gate entrance en route home as he cycles on Hwy 340. Sgt Nederlof’s wife Marina takes a lot of photographs of her husband on his cycling route, including those here she captured during his first ride from Wawanesa to Lethbridge, AB. Photos Jules Xavier/Shilo Stag