Page 453 - Total War on PTSD_FINAL

When I returned home from service, I struggled from the chaos of war and trying to find what else life had in store for me. I happened to see a video of kayakers running waterfalls; something that I had no idea was even possible. After witnessing that, a fire was lit. I started charging hard and discovered a community which was very similar to that of the military. Everyone looked out for one another. You are required to place your life in another's hands. You must devise a plan, and similar to my experience in the
military, even with a plan, things can turn to chaos in a moment.
I turned my attention toward the whitewater kayaking because it allowed me to move on with a new found passion in life. Kayaking allowed me to travel the world and let go of my past. After everything I experienced, it was difficult to transition back to the civilian lifestyle. In all honesty, if it wasn’t for whitewater kayaking, it would have made the transition more difficult. Kayaking, for me, is how I escape. I love the heart pumping adventure of being in the middle of nowhere, locked into deep canyon walls with nothing but massive whitewater ahead and a small group of people who you can trust with your life. You get out of it what you put in, just like the military. The other paddlers become
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