Man rowing 3,700 miles to bring attention to helping veterans

On Monday afternoon, a small boat docked at Cape Girardeau's riverfront. The man rowing it came with a message to raise awareness of veterans' issues.

Dan Cook, a former energies trader, is the founder of Rivers of Recovery, a not-for-profit organization begun in February 2008. Based in Park City, Utah, the organization offers recreational rehabilitation opportunities for combat veterans by guiding them and their families during three days of fly fishing on the Green River.

After years of trading on Wall Street and a 27-month around-the-world fly fishing expedition, Cook has made a habit out of long-distance rowing treks.

"Life's not about sitting in an office and trying to make as much money as you can," Cook said. "I think I basically just decided to pursue a different sort of wealth."

Cook's current adventure has brought him all the way from the headwaters of the Missouri River. He began his trip April 6 near Three Forks, Mont., and will have traveled close to 3,700 miles downriver to the Gulf of Mexico by the end of June. The trip is an effort to raise awareness for Rivers of Recovery.

Dan Cook rows ashore in Cape Girardeau to get water for his 3700 mile rowing trip to raise awareness for disabled veterans. Cook is a part of a rehabilitation program for disabled veterans called Rivers of Recovery based out of Park City, Utah. (Elizabeth Dodd)

Cook, who saw his brother, Steve Cook, overcome a lower right-leg amputation to become a standout on the U.S. Disabled Cross Country Ski Team, emphasized the role that recreational therapy plays in the rehabilitation process of combat veterans. Cook values activities that require intense focus from participants and enables them to free themselves temporarily from the symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder.

"And what's nice about our program is they can go home, buy a rod and reel. It's basically a self-application of therapy," Cook said.

In some cases, the effect of the program on veterans is dramatic.

"We've had people come back a month later and say this is the first time they've been able to sleep without sedatives since coming back from combat," Cook said.

He acknowledges the positive feedback he has received remains mostly anecdotal in nature, which is why the next step for Rivers of Recovery is to conduct a research study examining the physiological benefits of its recreational therapy. A team of immune system experts and mental health professionals will work with Rivers of Recovery participants to examine the physiological effects of recreational rehabiliation.

Cook hopes that evidence of the physiological benefits of participation in recreational therapy will ultimately enable organizations such as the Department of Veterans Affairs to incorporate the techniques into their rehabiliation programs for combat veterans.

"It's going to be groundbreaking research," Cook said.