Through SEAN MERAL
Toronto police officer and Beacher Tom Comeau is making ready to double summit two Himalayan mountains in 2023.
He’s going to be dedicating his climbs to Toronto Past the Blue, a charitable group that helps cops and their households through providing get right of entry to to sources to lend a hand care for psychological well being problems.
Toronto Past the Blue used to be based in 2017 after the loss of life of one in every of Comeau’s colleagues who had suffered from PTSD (Put up-traumatic pressure dysfunction) and took his personal lifestyles.
In step with a 2018 find out about through the Centre for Dependancy and Psychological Well being (CAMH), cops are disproportionately troubled through psychological sickness, with PTSD is at the leading edge. The CAMH find out about of 2 Canadian police departments discovered that 29 in keeping with cent of officials have been within the medical diagnostic vary for PTSD.
Comeau is making plans to summit each Mount Lobuche and Mount Ama Dablam in Nepal making him the primary Canadian first responder to summit the ones two peaks.
He has began a Move Fund Me marketing campaign the place he sits at roughly 75 in keeping with cent of his $10 000 function, with 100 in keeping with cent of the cash going to Toronto Past the Blue.
Having at all times liked journey, Comeau stated he were given a style for mountain mountain climbing after he and his spouse went to Peru in 2015.
“In 2015 my spouse and I travelled to Peru the place we hiked the Inca Path to Machu Picchu,” Comeau stated. “She used to be sadly very in poor health, however she driven herself previous her perceived limits and finished the trek with me. From that time on I sought after to move upper.”
By no means petrified of the adventure forward, Comeau set his points of interest upper and better over time.
“In 2020 I used to be speaking to one in every of my colleagues about my function of trekking to Everest Base Camp and because it grew to become out he in point of fact sought after to move as smartly,” Comeau stated. “In April 2022 we travelled to Nepal the place we spent two weeks finishing the Everest Base Camp trek going as prime as 5,300 metres”
Now, with Mount Lobuche sitting at 6,119m and Ama Dablam at 6,813m, Comeau now has a brand new function. Greater than 1,500m stand in his method.
That doesn’t trouble Comeau, as a result of what he’s doing the climbs for.
“I believe everybody has ‘mountains’ of their lives that want summitting,” stated Comeau. “For a few of my colleagues, their mountains are operating via their post-traumatic pressure related to the paintings we do serving the group. It may be crippling.”
Having lived within the Seaside since 2010, Comeau can also be discovered coaching at both the Steve & Sally Stavro Circle of relatives YMCA on Kingston Street, or on the R.C. Harris Water Remedy plant at Queen Side road East and Neville Park Side road.
“Please come say hi,” stated Comeau. “I virtually at all times have stickers for the children so they are able to be a part of this journey.”
When he isn’t coaching, he can also be discovered spending time together with his circle of relatives.
“My favorite recollections should be looking at our 3 kids placing out at Woodbine Seaside skipping rocks within the water,” stated Comeau. “Spending time in a few of our favorite eating places, together with the Inexperienced Eggplant, Fearless Meat and ViVetha.”
You’ll be able to donate to Toronto Past the Blue at their website online at https://www.torontobeyondtheblue.com/donate or donate to Comeau’s climb at https://www.gofundme.com/f/toronto-beyond-the-blue
Did you experience this text? Develop into a Seaside Metro Neighborhood Information Supporter nowadays! For fifty years, we’ve labored laborious to be the eyes and ears for your group, let you know of upcoming occasions, and can help you know what and who’s creating a distinction. We duvet the large tales in addition to the little issues that continuously subject essentially the most. CLICK HERE to make stronger your Seaside Metro Neighborhood Information!