Dana Batho, a 1990 graduate of North Island Secondary School and a veteran of the Canadian Forces, is seeking local assistance in a fundraising campaign while preparing for the Wounded Warriors' Battlefield Bike Ride, starting from Vimy Ridge later this year.
Batho, who went on to study at the University of Victoria and at schools in Japan and New Zealand, received her BA from the Royal Military College in Kingston, ON. But while studying for her master's degree in International Affairs at the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs, she suffered a military training exercise injury in the summer of 2012.
As a result of the injury, Batho has received assistance from a variety of organizations outside of the Canadian Forces, including Wounded Warriors Canada, which kicks off its second annual run of Vancouver Island in Port Hardy next month.
Through WWC's Courageous Companions program, Batho has received a trained service dog to help her cope with her chronic pain.
She plans to ride this June in the Wounded Warriors Battlefield Bike Ride from Vimy Ridge to Nijmegen, The Netherlands in a custom, recumbent bicycle with her service dog in the basket.
"Lt. General (Ret'd) Romeo Dallaire will also be riding with us, which will be such an honour for all of us," Batho said.
She had already raised nearly $5,000 and is seeking to reach her fundraising goal of $6,000.
To assist, visit woundedwarriors.ca/en/wwc-bike-ride-2014 and click the "sponsor a rider today" button, where you will find Batho's name in an alphabetized list.
"It's going to be very physically difficult for me to do the ride, but I really want to help raise funds and to prove to myself that I can still do some things, despite being very broken," Batho said.