NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — For Elizabeth Arevalo, days on the water are about fishing for something even harder to spot than what lies beneath the surface.
Her husband, a Metro Nashville Police officer, uses the time on the water as a mental health reset to leave the demands of the job on shore.
“It kind of gives him a reset or a blank slate to work with after he gets off of the water. While he’s in there, he doesn’t have to worry about anything but catching fish,” Arevalo said.
Scott Russell coordinates these outings each fair-weather month through the Music City chapter of Heroes on the Water. For him, the work is personal.
“It’s just a continuation of my service,” Russell said.
He understands the weight that veterans and first responders carry.
“Somebody you arrested for DUI and now he’s coming to the restaurant mad at you and you’re with your family. So they live that day to day,” Russell said.
The most recent outing took place at Couchville Lake.
“Just in a kayak, you’re inches from the water. You’re just there in the movement of the water just to get out there. The calmness of the water that you see out there, just the wind, the nature, the sounds, it’s just healing,” Russell said.
The Music City chapter supports about 200 local veterans and first responders every year. Arevalo said cost is never a barrier to participation.
“And that’s what we hear a lot is well I don’t have a kayak I don’t even have a fishing pole and we always say no just come.” Arevalo said. “It’s more than that it’s having an outlet that is safe and good for your mind,”
For Arevalo, the reward is simple — her husband comes home a little lighter than when he left.
Want to see this story in action? Watch the full video above and share your thoughts with reporter Kim Rafferty — have you or someone you know found healing through outdoor activities like kayak fishing? Heroes on the Water’s Music City chapter is always looking for veterans and first responders who could benefit from their program. Reach out to Kim and let her know your story at kim.rafferty@NewsChannel5.com
In this article, we used artificial intelligence to help us convert a video news report originally written by Kim Rafferty. When using this tool, both Kim and the NewsChannel 5 editorial team verified all the facts in the article to make sure it is fair and accurate before we published it. We care about your trust in us and where you get your news, and using this tool allows us to convert our news coverage into different formats so we can quickly reach you where you like to consume information. It also lets our journalists spend more time looking into your story ideas, listening to you and digging into the stories that matter.
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