MARATHON (Fla.) -- A group of veterans has enjoyed a motorcycle ride through the Florida Keys as part of the Rolling Project Odyssey program of Wounded Warrior Project. It provided them with camaraderie and emotional support.
After a Thursday morning interactive dolphin encounter at Dolphin Research Center on Grassy Key, participants rode across the Seven Mile Bridge.
Veterans learned in-water commands at Dolphin Research Center and swam alongside a group Atlantic bottlenose mammal divers.
Air Force Retired Master Sergeant. Bill Thomas stated that the Keys experience was remarkable for veterans. He refers to these mental health workshops as mental wellness workshops because he has suffered from depression and suicidal thoughts due to post-traumatic stress disorder.
Thomas stated, "We all have post-traumatic stress disorder." "So, being here definitely brings down the anxiety (and) it takes care the depression."
Rolling Project Odyssey is an organization of the Wounded Warrior Project that empowers wounded veterans through multi-day mental healthcare workshops. It's designed to rejuvenate veterans and help them navigate everyday life, which can often be influenced by PTSD.
