Healing Heroes Through Kayak Fishing (With Heroes On The Water)
- By: Joseph Simonds
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“Paddle. Fish. Heal.”
That’s the mantra of Heroes On The Water, which is an amazing organization that takes veterans, active-duty military, first responders, and their families kayak fishing.
Here’s a big problem with veterans and PTSD…
Soldiers are the toughest of the toughest of the tough, and in our culture, talking about your feelings is not exactly considered “tough.”
So when veterans experience PTSD they often isolate themselves, which leads them to get in their own heads and not being able to snap out of it.
Aric Quitugua, the leader of the Heroes On The Water Tampa Bay Chapter and today’s podcast guest, helps these guys snap out of it by taking them fishing.
Whether it’s a group of ten guys going fishing together, or just two guys going out, fishing allows these guys to get out of their heads, relax, have fun, and connect with someone who’s gone through what they’re going through.
Aric is a 20-year Army veteran, has experienced PTSD himself, and has lost several friends to suicide after Iraq, which motivated him to volunteer with Heroes On The Water.
In this episode, Aric talks about how fishing helps veterans, the backstory of how Heroes On The Water came to be, what it’s actually like to go through PTSD, and much more.
You can listen to this episode by clicking the play button below, or on iTunes, Stitcher, or Spotify.
P.S. Don’t forget to subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, or Spotify and leave us a review!
Healing Heroes Through Kayak Fishing [PODCAST]
Note: Don’t forget to subscribe to the Salt Strong podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, or Spotify and leave us a review!
Related podcasts:
- Healing Vets Through Fishing At My Warrior’s Place
- Marty Zoffinger: The Amazing Story Of A Kayaker Who Never Gave Up
Want To Go Fishing With Us?
If you want to win an offshore fishing trip with us, here’s all you have to do:
- Subscribe to the Salt Strong Podcast wherever you listen to podcasts (iTunes, Stitcher, etc.)
- Leave us a review
- Take a screenshot of it and email it to fish@saltstrong.com
Then you’ll be entered into a drawing where we’re picking 10 lucky people at the end of November to go on an offshore fishing trip with us on one of Hubbard’s Marina’s boats.
Now, the reason we’re doing this giveaway is that we want to be the most-reviewed fishing podcast out there.
Currently, we’re the second most-reviewed podcast, behind the Orvis podcast.
But we can’t let a bunch of fly guys beat us saltwater fishermen, can we?
No!
So please leave us a review, screenshot it, email it to us, and you’ll be entered to win a free fishing trip.
But hurry, this competition is only open until the end of November!
Conclusion
Don’t you just love hearing how fishing is literally changing and saving the lives of our veterans?!
I’m thankful for their service and for Aric’s service, and thankful for the fact that Aric is still continuing to serve by helping these guys heal.
If you want to donate to, participate in an event, or go fishing with Aric and Heroes On The Water, you can contact them by messaging their Facebook page.
Heroes On The Water – Tampa Bay, FL Chapter’s Facebook page
You can also learn more about the organization on their website HeroesOnTheWater.org.
Have any questions about Heroes On The Water?
Have you experienced healing through fishing?
Let us know in the comments below!
And please share this episode to help spread the Heroes On The Water mission!
P.S. Want the best local fishing spots, discounts on fishing gear, and to stay up to date with what and where the fish are biting right now? Join us in the Insider Club!
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STOP WASTING TIME ON THE WATER!
Do what the “SMART ANGLERS” are doing and join the Insider Club.
Here’s what you’ll receive today when you join:
- Weekly fishing reports and TRENDS revealing exactly where you should fish every trip
- Weekly “spot dissection” videos that walk you through all the best spots in your area
- Exclusive fishing tips from the PROS you can’t find anywhere else
- Everything you need to start catching fish more consistently (regardless if you fish out of a boat, kayak, or land).