Warrior Sailing is a disguised outreach program to help veterans cope with illness, depression and disabilities.
“It’s anybody from cancer survivors to spinal cord injuries and everyone in between. A majority of our participants that come to warrior sailing are dealing with non-visible injuries a lot of PTSD and depression. If I called it group therapy no one would show up so,” said Poucher.The National Library of Medicine says approximately 14% to 16% of U.S. service members deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq have PTSD or depression.
This hands-on vessel training gives veterans an outlet to deal with those emotions and interact with people who share similar experiences. “We get together we learn how to sail. The comradery, the teamwork is brought back into their lives, and we do that through sailing.”It’s only been about a year since he joined the non-profit and says every part of it is rewarding.
“It’s just an honor and a privilege to be able to give back to the veterans who gave so much to our nation,” said Smith.