Paul Franklin's inspiring story exemplifies the quiet courage and determination of Canadians under fire. In January 2006, Franklin, a medic with the Canadian Armed Forces, was in a convoy driving a Canadian diplomat to a reconstruction site in Afghanistan. With no warning, a taxi loaded with rockets intentionally smashed into them. Franklin's injuries were severe, and eventually cost him both his legs. The diplomat, Glyn Berry, was killed, and Franklin's two colleagues were both injured.

The events surrounding Franklin's survival made headlines around the country. Franklin had previously trained the men in his patrol company, and it was this medical response training, coupled with close teamwork and a quick reaction time, that was crucial in saving his life and the lives of his two colleagues that day. He returned home to a special ceremony in Ottawa, and was called a hero-though saves that term for the men and women still serving in Afghanistan.

Safe at home, Franklin began a monumental recovery, during which he underwent 26 surgeries, including the amputation of his remaining right leg after 4 surgeries. Now, Franklin is back at work, teaching tactical combat medicine at various bases across the country. After extensive consultation with his health care professionals, he co-founded the Northern Alberta Amputee Program (NAAP). He has also taken to the stage, sharing his courageous story of survival and recovery to audiences throughout Canada. A book about his experiences, The Long Walk Home, was released in 2007 to critical acclaim.

Watch an Incredible CBC Interview with Paul Franklin

A father walks his son to school. It happens thousands of times a day, right across this country. Nothing extraordinary in it, right? Not unless the father is Paul Franklin, and that walk to school, only 600 metres in length, but filled with a lifetime's worth of meaning and emotion, comes just six months after nearly dying in a suicide bomb attack in Afghanistan. In his riveting, dramatic and ultimately uplifting presentation, Master Corporal Paul Franklin shares the incredible story of his time in Afghanistan. He talks about the work he and his fellow soldiers were doing, their interaction with the Afghan people, and their struggle against the insurgency. And, of course, he discusses the suicide bombing that brought him to national prominence. In his talk he discusses how he survived the blast, drawing in the themes of resilience, teamwork, mental toughness, and training. And, at the core of this presentation is the immense hope that he held onto—even when things looked bleakest—to see his wife and son once again.

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