There was a time when completing a 100-mile hike would have been unfathomable for Army veteran John Filipkowski. After all, it took years to recover from the blast. Filipkowski, a Special Forces soldier, was serving in Afghanistan when an IED tore through his vehicle, flinging his body airborne and causing a traumatic brain injury (TBI). Physically, his body was so damaged that he was confined to a wheelchair, eventually using a cane for mobility. Mentally, the post-traumatic stress the former sergeant first class suffered from 11 deployments handcuffed him with anxiety and depression. Yet, there he was, along with a group of other veterans and his loyal service dog, grinding through a five-day trek across the vast Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex from April 29 to May 3 to spread awareness of the 15 percent of veterans diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Veterans also hiked to support Semper Fi & America’s Fund, an organization that helps combat-wounded veterans and their families. Joining Filipkowski was fellow Army veteran Nekita Hunter, who fought her own battles with PRSD, born from 12 debilitating years as a trauma nurse, caring for critically wounded soldiers in combat. Hunter walked those 100 miles to share the message that people who medically treat severely injured service members are not immune to mental health struggles.