Yet, that is where she found herself after a combat mission in the middle of her third combat tour of duty in the deserts of Afghanistan in 2005.Īs Furdek explains it, “In the middle of a combat mission, no different than the dozens and dozens of missions over the previous four years in Iraq and Afghanistan, I just shut down and I was no longer effective as a leader. As the doors of the psychiatric ward shut behind me, all my hopes, dreams and aspirations seemed lost.”

Jones set an immediate impression on me on the type of residents that make up the city of Louisville,” Furdek said.įurdek – a West Point graduate, record-setting swimmer, and four-time Ironman athlete – is perhaps the last person one would find locked behind the doors of a psychiatric ward. Second in this series: Louisville soldier and his big family know the price of military serviceĪfter dropping her off, Jones offered Furdek and her grandmother a free lunch at his restaurant, The North End Cafe.

Whitney Jones, as she disembarked from her flight. Jones quickly thanked her for her service and insisted on driving her to her grandmother’s house (Eleanor Burkholder – a lifelong resident of Louisville) where Furdek hoped to surprise her. In was 2003, and Carolyn Furdek arrived at the local airport dressed in her desert fatigues on a short two-week furlough from her yearlong deployment in Iraq. She recalls her first encounter with a resident of Louisville willing to go above and beyond for our local veterans. Each story is a singular account of one veteran’s transition into civilian life and how the Louisville community has supported that journey. Meet retired Army Capt. Carolyn Furdek.

If you reach out to either or Ken or Abbey, they will send the first 25 listeners a free copy of the book.United Federation Of Podcasts is brought you to by listeners like you.Editor's note: This is the first in a series of stories on veterans in the Louisville community in advance of Veteran's Day and the Mayor's Week of Valor, which begins Nov. Powerful, inspirational, and a pure joy Carolyn's story will instill hope and strength. Ken Tripp and Abbey Ambrose are joined by Carolyn Furdek - former US Army Captain, West Point Graduate, and Doctor of Physical Therapy - to discuss her book, Locked-In: A Soldier and Civilian's Struggle with Invisible Wounds.In it Carolyn writes about her 16 year struggle overcoming mental illness and her inspirational story should be shared and listened to by anyone who has had their own issues or knows a person who is struggling today.

Locked-in by Carolyn Furdek