Forged in the Fire, Freed by Forgiveness
Chris Boone’s PATHH To Purpose
For nearly two decades, Chris Boone ran toward danger. As a Firefighter and EMT for 18 years, and before that a Corrections Officer for three, he built a career on being the calm in the chaos—saving lives, solving problems, and standing strong for others when they needed him most. But when the weight of trauma finally broke through the armor, Chris found himself facing an enemy he couldn’t out-run, out-train, or out-fight: post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
When he was medically retired, it felt like his identity, purpose, and sense of belonging vanished overnight. “I lost the career I loved. I lost connection to the people who understood me. I felt broken—like I had nothing left to offer,” he shared. The job that had once given his life meaning had become the thing that haunted him most.
Before Warrior PATHH: A Life in Shadows
Before finding Warrior PATHH, Chris’s days were marked by anxiety, panic, and unbearable guilt. His nights were worse—gruesome nightmares so vivid that staying awake felt safer than sleep. “At my worst, I was seeing my kids’ faces on victims,” he recalled. “I truly believed I was broken and that I’d end up getting someone killed.”
Once an ultramarathon runner and rescue swimmer, Chris’s physical health declined alongside his mental health. Injuries sidelined him. Depression kept him isolated. He stopped moving, stopped connecting, and stopped believing in his own worth. “I was ashamed that I couldn’t handle the job anymore. Every day felt like I was letting my profession—and my family—down.”
After a series of failed therapy attempts and even a 45-day inpatient stay that ended without meaningful follow-up, Chris sank further into solitude. “Each failed attempt at healing reaffirmed that I was unfixable,” he said. “I isolated to protect my family from me.”
He filled his silence with self-talk that was both a lifeline and a plea:
“I am not my symptoms.”
“I am worthy of love.”
“The cure for the pain is in the pain.”
But healing still felt far away.
Discovering Warrior PATHH
Chris first heard about Warrior PATHH over coffee with a fellow first responder—an alumna who had found hope through the program. What caught his attention wasn’t just the curriculum, but her description of a community that truly understood. Still, fear and self-doubt whispered every excuse to stay home. “I told myself someone else needed it more. That I wasn’t worthy. That taking time for myself was selfish.”
Then his friend said something that pierced through the noise:
“You cannot truly love others until you learn to love yourself.”
That realization shifted everything. “My wife and kids were the reason I was still fighting, and I realized I couldn’t keep letting them see me destroy myself,” Chris said. “I wanted to be the man they saw—a loving husband and father who would fight for them. I signed up the next day.”
Inside the PATHH Experience
From the moment he arrived, Chris sensed Warrior PATHH was different. “It wasn’t clinical. It was human,” he said. Surrounded by veterans and first responders who had walked similar paths, Chris finally felt seen. “Every guide had been through it themselves. There was no judgment, no pretending—just truth.”
Through movement, mindfulness, and connection, the program gave him tools to face his pain instead of hide from it. But one experience changed him most: the horses.
“In the presence of those gentle giants, I couldn’t hide behind bravado. They knew when I wasn’t being real. To earn their trust, I had to drop the act and just be me,” he said. “That’s when it clicked—my family didn’t want a firefighter or a fixer. They just wanted me.”
Nature walks, shared meals, and open conversations built a brotherhood that lasted long after the week ended. “The support system is what makes PATHH different,” Chris said. “Even after graduation, the connections remain—weekly check-ins, the Boulder Crest app, and hundreds of brothers and sisters willing to listen without judgment.”
“Warrior PATHH no doubt saved my life and gave me back the ability to love myself and my family again.”
After Warrior PATHH: Rewriting the Story
Since completing the program, Chris’s transformation has rippled through every part of his life. “I’ve learned to find gratitude in everything,” he said. “Instead of seeing the worst in people, I now look for the good. I see struggle as something to meet with compassion, not irritation.”
The man who once thought he’d lost his purpose has found a new one—service in a different form. “Leaving the fire service felt like losing my only way to help others,” Chris shared. “But Warrior PATHH taught me that service takes many shapes. Now, helping my kids, supporting fellow warriors, and volunteering with PATHH are my new missions.”
He’s begun reconnecting deeply with family, even revisiting painful memories once too heavy to face. “I was able to talk about childhood trauma for the first time in forty years,” he said. “I realized those things happened to me—they are not who I am.”
At home, gratitude has become contagious. “My wife and kids now speak of gratitude. Some even journal. It’s a family affair. We’re growing together.”
After Warrior PATHH: Rewriting the Story
Since completing the program, Chris’s transformation has rippled through every part of his life. “I’ve learned to find gratitude in everything,” he said. “Instead of seeing the worst in people, I now look for the good. I see struggle as something to meet with compassion, not irritation.”
The man who once thought he’d lost his purpose has found a new one—service in a different form. “Leaving the fire service felt like losing my only way to help others,” Chris shared. “But Warrior PATHH taught me that service takes many shapes. Now, helping my kids, supporting fellow warriors, and volunteering with PATHH are my new missions.”
He’s begun reconnecting deeply with family, even revisiting painful memories once too heavy to face. “I was able to talk about childhood trauma for the first time in forty years,” he said. “I realized those things happened to me—they are not who I am.”
At home, gratitude has become contagious. “My wife and kids now speak of gratitude. Some even journal. It’s a family affair. We’re growing together.”
Reflections and Message to Others
Chris’s message to others walking through darkness is clear and unwavering:
“You are NOT alone. Everyone’s story is different, but the pain we feel is universal. Shame and guilt keep us in the dark. Trust yourself, and trust others to help you find light.”
He challenges others to look inward:
“Are you thriving or just surviving? What legacy do you want to leave? You have the power to transform your pain into purpose.”
Now, every morning feels like a fresh start. “Each day is a blessing,” Chris said. “I went from believing my life didn’t matter to wanting to live it fully. Every sunrise is a clean slate. I see love and grace in my family’s faces, and I feel hope in our future.”
Call to Action
Warrior PATHH helped Chris reclaim his life, his family, and his purpose. For countless others still searching for their way forward, his story is proof that healing is possible.
Veterans and first responders: Ready to start your path?
➡️ Learn more at ptsdfoundation.org/warriorpathh
Supporters and donors: Your generosity makes stories like Chris’s possible, and every transformation begins with someone who cares enough to give. Click HERE to be part of the impact today!
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