My husband and I participated in our second 5K this spring. The first one we did was last fall for the Dempsey Center who raises awareness and funds for those who have cancer, a deadly disease most of us have come in contact with at some point in our lives. I chose to do the Dempsey … More Teal Ribbon 5K for Sexual Assault Awareness Month (2016)
After Soldier Ride Tampa, I attended a three day physical health and wellness expo with Wounded Warrior Project in Massachusetts. On the second day we went for a bicycle ride with Urban AdvenTours in Boston. After just returning home from a cycle ride, I was excited that we were going for another one. I fell … More Our Unique Boston Cycling Experience with Urban AdvenTours (2016)
Soldier Ride Tampa (Florida) was incredible. I had a lot of anxiety about signing up for this program but thanks to some coaxing from some female veteran friends I got up the courage to give it a try. Initially I had planned to go to Soldier Ride with a female veteran friend from every branch of service … More Soldier Ride Tampa Inspired Me to Start Cycling for Physical & Mental Health (2016)
I’ve done a lot of firsts this past couple years and I added one more to the list this past week. I went sailing for the first time ever and even took the helm of the sailboat for quite a ways. What went from being completely uninterested in pursuing this particular hobby in the future … More Sailboating in Tampa Bay with the St. Petersburg Sailing Center in Florida (2016)
The first time I ever heard the term military sexual trauma was when I was living with my future husband in Olympia, Washington in 2006. He was active duty Air Force stationed at McChord Air Force Base. I was a traditional National Guardsman. I had just transferred from a combat communications squadron in 2005 to a … More Paying It Forward Thanks to Army Specialist Suzanne Swift (2016)
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder: a condition of persistent mental and emotional stress occurring as a result of injury or severe psychological shock, typically involving disturbance of sleep and constant vivid recall of the experience, with dulled responses to others and to the outside world. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) has baffled my mind since first … More Coping with Complex PTSD: A Veteran’s Perspective (2016)
My husband and I are disabled US Air Force veterans. We signed up for the Wounded Warrior Project a little over a year ago. We both have benefited greatly from the experiences. We have focused mostly on self-improvement but this event was a little different. Wounded Warrior Project organized a couple hikes with the Appalachian Mountain … More Our Hiking Adventure with the Appalachian Mountain Club in New Hampshire (2015)
I’ve been wanting to do a 5K for quite some time but because of Post Traumatic Stress never found the courage to follow through until my friends Valari and Xandy inspired me. Over the years, I watched them collect money for the Dempsey Challenge 5K, talk about how the experience inspires them, and get their … More Dempsey Challenge 5K in Honor of My Late Father William R. Stowell (2015)
I was a hot mess before I got my service dog. I am so thankful I followed through on getting a service dog because she has changed my life significantly. I had tried everything and found myself sinker deeper and deeper into isolation and didn’t know how to fight it. I am a veteran with … More 15 Ways My K9s for Warriors Service Dog Has Helped Me (2015)
I’ve always loved traveling. As a matter of a fact traveling was one of the things I loved about serving in the military. I couldn’t believe the places I got sent to train and work throughout the years. It was exciting to explore new places, meet new friends, and be a part of something bigger … More America’s National Parks Help Heal My CPTSD (2015)
