For Veterans, it is especially hard to ask for and receive help, and takes a lot of courage to be vulnerable and talk about the times we needed support most. It can be incredibly hard to put those stories on paper, but if you’ve even walked a mile in those shoes we would love to hear about it. We hope that showing others who may be struggling that it is okay to receive support from others and how we grew from that to be successful today may encourage them to step forward and let us be the ones who help them start the newest chapter of their story. Our goal is to feature veterans who have struggled with something related to mental health and used recreation to change their lives for the better so we can inspire other veterans to take a chance with us and see the method to our madness. These stories will likely discuss sensitive subjects and require courage to tell, so we are happy to honor anonymous entries as well. If you are a veteran with a story that you would like to share, 

or simply enjoy writing and would like to submit a piece about a trip or passion of yours, we would be more than happy to feature your work. Email submissions to lindsay@veteranrecreation.org

I was at Basic Military Training in 2016 when I learned that my childhood friend (and Army Veteran) had died by suicide....

Success is a term that is often associated with a career, financial status, or the “American Dream.” If there’s one thing I wish my younger self would have learned earlier on, it would be that success is defined differently for everyone.

... We met at the Garden of the Gods and adventured along the trails, taking in the incredible scenery while engaging in great conversation surrounding our recent adventures, mental health, and military service...

"Slow is smooth..."

... I had a long, hard lesson in patience and "trusting the process."