Veterans fighting solitude through exercise
Jean Noël is a veteran with 32 years of military service and four missions under his belt. Like any average Joe, however, he says that getting himself to the gym was an effort. After trying to get into the routine and failing, as many of us have before, he figured that all he needed was some motivation and companionship.
Since the beginning of July, Noël has been focus not just on getting himself to the gym, but also helping out other veterans. A volunteer for Anciens Combattants Canada for 18 months, he had the idea of starting a gym membership for former soldiers.
“The idea started in my head after trying to work out many times, and thinking to myself: what keeps making me stop?” said Noël. “I felt like all I needed were some people to come with me, have a sense of camaraderie, of encouragement, and I thought: this would be a great way to get our vets out of isolation.”
“I headed out to the Maxi-club on a whim,” he explained. “I told them I was a volunteer, and that I didn’t have any money to offer up, but that I’d like to develop a program. Then I approached other organizations, like the legion, for support.”
The Maxi-club gym on Belvédère Street in Sherbrooke worked with Noël to offer free gym access to veterans, both from the Canadian Armed Forces and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. This includes reservists and regular infantry, said Noël. Their significant others are invited to attend as well.
“Once registered with the program, it is completely free and they can go whenever,” said the veteran. “For me, it’s on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 10 a.m. to noon. I’m looking for a group feeling, to make connections. That’s why I’m doing this.”
The program has 24 registered members, but according to Noël, up to 94 people have showed up to try it out.
“Yesterday already I had another person approach me to register, and I have two more coming. I think I’ll wind up being a victim of my own success. I’d say that I really don’t have a choice to go to the gym anymore!” he laughed, adding that he always goes with great joy. “People count on me now.”
The veteran hopes to offer a sense of community to others who have served like him. While he maintained that the Forces have excellent programs for their former soldiers, he felt that something like this was lacking in their options, making his program a first in Canada.
“Physical conditioning, or rather, just the fact that you’re up and moving, it really helps your mood,” Noël explained. “Solitude, PTSD, these are really big things our veterans have to deal with. I’ve suffered myself. Some people in our group, they tell me ‘if I hadn’t come to the gym today, I’d still be in bed’. At the end of the session, they say: ‘you know, I’m tired, but I’m happy I came. I feel good.’ They don’t always want to come. Sometimes, I don’t want to come. But it helps me when I go and I think it helps others. It really changes their state of mind for the best.”
For more information about the gym program, Jean Noël can be reached via his e-mail: jeanssbso@hotmail.com.