Logistics Officer set to trek Baffin Island

Lieutenant Commander Kathryn Logan is set to trek the north.

Peter Mallett, Staff Writer ~

A Logistics Officer is getting ready to fulfill a life-long dream when she embarks on an Arctic excursion in Canada’s far north in the weeks ahead.

On April 3, Lieutenant Commander Kathryn Logan and an all-women team of 18 hikers will embark on an 11-day journey on Baffin Island. Their excursion is one of the outdoor adventure programs to benefit injured current and former military members organized by True Patriot Love. The national charitable organization provides Canadian military, veterans and their families access to support programs and funding.

“For me it’s an incredible opportunity, I have always wanted to visit the north but haven’t had the opportunity, so I am really excited to be a part of this expedition.”

The 36-year-old grew up in Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan, and is married to a constable with the Victoria Police Department.  She joined the Royal Canadian Navy in 2000 and currently works as Logistics Officer for Canadian Fleet Pacific.

Her military career has included deployments to the Arabian Sea, Afghanistan and Libya. However, at the beginning of her career, she experienced a major physical setback when she suffered a knee injury in 2001. She tore the Anterior Cruciate Ligament while playing basketball at Royal Military College.

It’s been a number of surgeries and years of recovery with her athletic activities shifting to long-distance endurance sports including hiking and triathlons, but LCdr Logan has made a mostly complete recovery.

The True Patriot Love expedition will cover over 100 kilometres of scenic, but extremely isolated terrain. Accompanied by two Inuit guides, the women will snowshoe across the Arctic Circle passing landmarks such as Akshayuk Pass and a rarely visited section of the Owl River Valley.

They plan to cover approximately 10 kilometres per day; they will lug their tents, food and other supplies in backpacks and on sleds, and will face extreme weather conditions, with typical temperatures in the region for the month of April ranging from -5 to -30 Celsius.

LCdr Logan has experience hiking in remote locations. She has previously summited Kilimanjaro in Tanzania and Hyuna Potasi in Bolivia, and hiked the Annapurna circuit in Nepal. Locally, she has hiked the West Coast and Juan de Fuca trails.

“I’m extremely grateful to be a part of this expedition. True Patriot Love does amazing work for thousands of military families across Canada, and I feel very lucky to have been selected for an adventure like this.”

The expedition aims to raise $1 million for True Patriot Love’s mental health initiatives, and veteran transition services.  LCdr Logan aims to raise $7,500 for the charity.

The journey will be arduous, but the end result will be worth it, she says.

“It’s a great opportunity to meet other women from all walks of life. It will be interesting to hear from the other ladies, and hear how they manage their careers and families, and to find out what drew them to the far north.”

To support LCdr Logan and her fundraising campaign visit https://bit.ly/2Gi1e7t

Since 2009, True Patriot Life has provided $25 million to fund innovative research and 750 community-based programs across the country while assisting over 25,000 military families in Canada.

For more on the charity visit truepatriotlove.com.