Mission Accomplished: 100 Miles with Rhonda Cannon

By Christopher Miller

FARWELL – On Thursday, Rhonda Cannon walked a mile around Central Avenue in Farwell. This was no usual walk. For Rhonda and her husband Cark, it was a long overdue stroll through Farwell. But for Rhonda it was the walk of a lifetime; something that words cannot seek to explain.

Throughout the month of September, Rhonda, a true American patriot, has been walking daily all around western Clinton County. “I carried the flag almost everywhere I walked – from Drury’s Run into Renovo to East Renovo, back into town, into South Renovo, Farwell, North Bend – anywhere I could walk, I was there and I am proud,” said Rhonda in an interview with The Record. “My feet hurt me the most, but not my knees,” which she attributes to the great work done by Dr. John H, Bailey, Jr., Orthopedic Surgeon with UPMC in Williamsport.

Rhonda’s overall goal was to walk 100 miles which was the September challenge for Pennsylvania through the Stop Soldier Suicide organization. “I found it on Facebook,” Rhonda said. “It popped up on my Facebook one day and I had no curiosity in it at all, I did not look at it at first, but I couldn’t get it off my mind, so I researched and looked into it…when I commit to something, I fully commit.”

This walk was much more than a fitness challenge to Rhonda, this was something much more real and personal. “My husband, Cark, is a Vietnam veteran and had a stroke in May 2016 that affected the left side of his body,” Rhonda explained. “After that time he began to have severe post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from his time in the war.”

“Cark lost his license when he had the stroke, and with the PTSD he started to relive Vietnam every night; sometimes he would yell things like “it was not cleared for you to go there, soldier”…I was called everything at night like Sergeant, Corporal, Private…so I played along and got into the bunker and went back to bed.”

Rhonda and Cark visit local equestrian therapy group Heroes & Horses where, through Cark’s work with the horses, his PTSD and traumatic brain injury (TBI) can be helped.

It wasn’t until an appointment at the VA in State College where Rhonda learned the disheartening and frightening news. “We were at a doctor appointment at the VA clinic and each time, before he goes to see the doctor, the nurse weighs him and takes his vitals, then she asks questions…one of the questions is “have you ever thought about hurting yourself,” and he answers yes,” Rhonda explained.

“I was just floored,” she said, “he honestly did not tell me – my heart broke, I fell apart right there…the nurse then asked him how far has he gone toward hurting himself,” and he answered “closer than I want to admit.”

“I knew he was depressed, but I did not know the seriousness until it hit you in the face,” Rhonda explained. “If anyone out there is feeling this way, reach out and talk to somebody, anybody…you must open up to somebody and I am thankful that God had him open up right then and there – do not hold it in.”

The 100 mile walk, which someone could complete within a month, is to raise awareness for suicide within the military. “I don’t know anyone personally who has committed suicide, but I know spouses of those, and this cause is so close to my heart,” Rhonda said. “My husband is the main reason, we went through heck for months…I was afraid to leave his side.”

Cark attends counseling with the VA every other week, and Rhonda reports that he is deemed safe from having those thoughts.

Rhonda, who is proud to report that she is 68 years young, had both knees replaced within a period of 7 months from August 2020 – March 2021. “My doctor said that I have beaten all odds – I am the poster child for this now,” she joked.

This walk is something that she has trained for her whole life, it seems. “I just walked,” she explained, “I used to be a runner, but I can’t do that now and I don’t want to damage the good knees I have now; I ran these mountains with weighted backpacks on, and I ran my first marathon in April 2020 (at age 48) at the first Country Music Marathon in Nashville!”

In total, Rhonda walked 100.14 miles outside during the month of September.

“The most I walked was 10 miles in a day – yeah, I paid for that one, I had to take the next day off, but I wanted to be able to cut down my daily miles after September 15,” she explained. “You have to take the first step with whatever you want to do, but go slow – you cannot do it all overnight…small goals.”

A miracle happened today.

“For the first time since he had a stroke, Cark walked with me today, he did the whole mile,” Rhonda said proudly! “I did not know he was going to do it, it was amazing – it made me feel…I don’t even know…I am so proud of him, and he did it all for me, he told me that.”

“I know it was hard for him, but he had his walker chair following behind, Cheryl (Wadsworth) was pushing it behind him, and he walked with his cane the whole way…I carried the flag and he walked beside me, it was perfect and spirits were high,” Rhonda said, emotionally.

In total, Rhonda raised $435 for Stop Soldier Suicide. Her original goal was $200.

If you or someone you know is interested in learning more about Stop Soldier Suicide or the 100 Mile Challenge, please visit the website below.

https://stopsoldiersuicide.org/facebook-challenges

“I feel accomplished, I did my best,” Rhonda said.