The first thing I noticed after swishing my truck through high weeds and walking toward a trailer piled high with kayaks on Oct. 19 was the quiet. Birdsong. Water lapping at the lakeshore.

The organization I had come to visit hosts most of its events far from traffic and city noises. Heroes On the Water (HOW) is a nonprofit that provides community support for a demographic that needs tranquility more than most — veterans and first responders, many of whom may be dealing with post-traumatic stress and other issues.

When I reached the clump of cars and kayaks on the shore of a small private lake near Farmersville, George Chrisman extended a firm handshake and pegged me right away as the journalist he had traded emails with the week before, come to offer some publicity for his organization because it struck me as a worthy cause and, if I’m honest, a good excuse to go fishing. Before long, he and fellow HOW leader Bruce Fry were telling me about lives that have been changed atop a kayak.

Full Article – https://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/commentary/2024/10/26/the-north-texas-kayakers-who-are-quietly-helping-veteran-mental-health/