05/19/2026
Read about how Tom Gerard has taken his lessons from the river and continues to apply them to daily life. Thanks for sharing, Tom and for carrying the WAC ethos with you! 🙏
🌄 Before the Program
Before joining Warrior Adventures Canada, I was starting to hit a wall mentally and physically. Around the time I signed up for the Dumoine River trip in July 2022, I was dealing with burnout from work and other challenges happening in my life.
What made you decide to sign up for the trip?
I had friends who had gone on WAC trips before, and they spoke highly about how much the experience had helped them. At the time, I had never done any backcountry camping or canoed through rapids, so it was completely outside of my comfort zone.
Even though it felt intimidating, I knew I needed to do something different — something that would challenge me mentally and physically, push me outside of my normal routine and help me reset. I find we get stuck in normal day to day activities and sometimes I feel like if we push ourselves harder and do more out of our comfort zones it would help a lot with any struggles that people are dealing with.
Were you hesitant about anything going in?
The week leading up to the trip, I was definitely feeling anxious about going. I had recently lost my dad, and honestly, he was one of the main reasons I decided to sign up for the trip in the first place. At the time, I was carrying a lot emotionally and losing him was a huge part of that.
I saw the trip as an outlet — a chance to step away from everything going on in my life and focus on myself for a while. Even though I was nervous at first, after a few days that anxiety started to turn into excitement. I was looking forward to trying something completely new, pushing myself outside my comfort zone, and meeting like-minded people who understood the importance of taking time to reset mentally and physically.
More than anything, I needed a break from everyday life, and the trip felt like the right opportunity to clear my head and reconnect with myself.
🏕️ During the Experience
What was a moment on the trip that really stayed with you?
A moment that stayed with me the most from the trip was one night when I set my tent up on a rocky spot right beside the river. From where I was sitting, I had a clear view of the falls. I stayed up late just watching the water, listening to the sounds of the river and the woods around me. In that moment, with everything going on in my life at the time, it was the most connected and clear-minded I had felt in years. That night I realized how much being in nature helps clear the mind and helped reset my thinking and outlook.
Did anything challenge you in a surprising way?
I felt challenged throughout the entire week. I’ve done a lot of camping in my life, but I had never experienced backcountry camping or canoeing through rapids while carrying all our gear. It was a great challenge that pushed me to learn new skills and gain a lot of knowledge along the way. Those challenges made the week even more enjoyable and gave me skills and experiences that I can continue to use in the future.
Was there a connection or person that impacted you deeply?
I was teamed up with John Watson, and honestly, it turned out to be a great partnership. Throughout the week, we spent long days together in the canoe talking about everything going on in our lives and just being able to talk things through with each other.
It was good to hear about what someone else may be going through and to realize that everyone is dealing with something in life, whether they talk about it openly or not. Having someone who could relate to certain experiences, offer advice, and simply listen made a big difference.
That week gave us the chance to really connect, support each other, and bounce things off one another, and that was something I truly appreciated.
🌱 After the Trip
What changed for you after the experience?
When I got back to reality it was a relief how less stressed a felt mentally and physically. I tried to use the tools that were given to us during our week and what our guides taught us.
What have you carried forward into your daily life?
One of the slogans from our 2022 trip that has always stuck with me is, “The River Don’t Care.”
The river doesn’t care how your day is going, what you’re carrying, or what’s weighing on your mind — it just keeps moving. In a lot of ways, life is the same. You have to learn to go with the flow, keep moving forward, and work through whatever comes your way.
At the same time, the river became a place where you could let everything out — stress, frustration, emotions, whatever you were carrying. Leave it all on the river, then keep pushing forward.
That message has stayed with me ever since the trip: no matter what life throws at you, keep going and don’t stop moving forward.
Another quote from our trip that has really stayed with me is, “Take an Eddy.”
If you see a calm spot in the water and need a break, you pull over to the side, regroup, and reset before continuing on.
I’ve realized that applies to life too. Sometimes you need to step back, take a moment to breathe, regroup, and refocus on what’s in front of you before moving forward again.
These two quotes have helped me a lot since my first trip, and I still think about them often in everyday life.
How has your mindset shifted?
My mindset has shifted a lot since the trip. Before, I would hold a lot of things in and focus too much on everything going wrong around me. The trip taught me how important it is to slow down, regroup, and keep moving forward even when life gets difficult.
A few of the sayings from the trip still stick with me today, like “Take an Eddy” and “The River Don’t Care.” Those lessons helped me realize that life keeps moving no matter what, and sometimes you need to step back, reset, and then keep pushing forward.
The experience also taught me that everyone is carrying something in life, and having people around you to talk to and support you makes a huge difference. Since the trip, I’ve tried to focus more on staying positive, being present, and handling challenges one step at a time instead of letting them overwhelm me.
What are you doing now that you’re proud of?
One thing I’m proud of is that I’ve continued to stay active and spend more time outdoors since the trip. I’ve been camping more, staying connected to nature, and trying to be more present in everyday life instead of getting caught up in stress or distractions.
I’m also proud that I had the opportunity to come back as a guide for the 2025 Men’s Algonquin Trip. That was a huge honor for me because the program had such a positive impact on my own life. Being able to return, support others, and experience another amazing trip from a different perspective meant a lot to me.
What are you working toward next?
What I’m working toward next is continuing to grow both mentally and personally while staying connected to the things that have helped me most since the trip. I want to keep spending more time outdoors, stay active, and continue being more present in everyday life.
I also want to keep building on the experiences and lessons I’ve gained through these trips. Coming back as a guide for the 2025 Men’s Algonquin Trip showed me how meaningful it is to support and encourage others, and I’d like to continue being involved in experiences that make a positive impact on people.
Most importantly, I’m working toward continuing to move forward, stay grounded, and keep challenging myself in positive ways.
