Discussion Forum
We welcome your input into the Heart of America campaign! If you have a comment or a question, please fill out the form to the right and we will respond. Please be patient—the timeliness of the response will depend on broadband internet coverage and schedule.
June 24, 2009
Successful Completion!
Dan rowed into the Cypress Cove Marina in Venice, Louisiana at approximately 3pm to successfully complete the Heart of America campaign.
We would like to thank everyone who supported this monumental effort and we look forward to continuing our work to help our nation's disabled veterans.
Thank you!
June 09, 2009
Southeast Missourian
Man rowing 3,700 miles to bring attention to helping veterans
Tuesday, June 9, 2009 After a stop in Cape Girardeau, Dan Cook prepares to head back onto the Mississippi River to continue his 3,700 mile rowing trip to raise awareness for disabled veterans. (Elizabeth Dodd) [Click to enlarge] [Order this photo] |
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) [Click to enlarge] [Order this photo] |
"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.
June 04, 2009
Saint Louis Post Dispatch
Bob Nawrocki cut a lonely figure as he braved gray sky, chilly wind and intermittent drizzle to welcome adventurer Dan Cook to St. Louis.
The retiree arrived at the Gateway Arch riverfront an hour and a half before Cook was due, patiently waiting for him to paddle up at noon.
He's been following Cook on the Internet for a week, intrigued by Cook's 3,700-mile rowing trip through America's heartland to increase awareness of disabled war veterans.
"I've been stalking him on my computer," Nawrocki admitted.
The Webster Groves resident also was curious to see Cook because his son, a veteran of both Gulf Wars, had been on one of the fishing trips for veterans held by Cook's organization, Rivers of Recovery.
While there may be many people with noble intentions, few have strength of will and of body to do what Cook does for a good cause.
Beginning in Montana on April 6, Cook has been rowing a 14-foot boat for between 12 to 15 hours a day. He hopes to reach the Gulf of Mexico in three months.
In the course of his travels, he's faced almost everything nature can throw at him, including blizzards, freezing rains, dense fog, intense heat and powerful headwinds.
"I row constantly, not taking breaks or pulling over and having a picnic lunch," said the tanned and bearded Cook, whose last shower was in Kansas 10 days ago. "I have vitamin milkshakes and muscle recovery shakes. If I can eat it with one hand, I pretty much keep rowing
"It's an incredible challenge, but the people I've met along the way have made it worth it."
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Cook, who founded Rivers of Recovery, used to be a Wall Street energy trader. The outdoorsman has twice rowed the length of the Yukon River and recently finished a 75,000-mile around-the-world fly fishing trip, which took him 27 months to complete.
Cook insists the hardships on his current trip, dubbed the Heart of America campaign, can't begin to compare to soldiers' difficulties in the combat zone and in returning to society.
The common public misconception, he said, is that soldiers are rehabilitated once they've been discharged from Veterans Affairs hospitals
"The real challenges start when they're re-acclimating to community and re-assimilating their roles in the family," he said. "I think that's kind of a hard thing for people not connected to the military to understand."
Making people understand is what Cook is trying to do in his novel way.
May 29, 2009
Columbia Tribune
Small boat carries big goals
Cross-country trip aims to help vets.
RIVERS OF RECOVERY Dan Cook stands in his 17-foot dory Thursday at Cooper’s Landing along the Missouri River. Cook is in the middle of a 3,700-mile solo rowing trip down the Missouri and Mississippi rivers to raise awareness for disabled veterans.
He doesn’t have time for leisurely dinners. Cook has to be in the Gulf of Mexico by the end of June, and because he’s traveling on a 17-foot dory down the Missouri and Mississippi rivers, that means rowing some 14 hours straight.
Cook, of Utah, is sacrificing basic comforts to raise awareness for disabled veterans and the benefits they can get from participating in recreational activities. His 3,700-mile solo rowing trip began April 6 in Three Forks, Mont., and is expected to conclude June 30.
“I’m trying to do this as fast as I can,” Cook said yesterday during a stop at Cooper’s Landing along the river southwest of Columbia. “I’m rowing constantly … Every part of my body hurts at the end of the day. But it doesn’t even compare to what our disabled veterans and injured service men and women go through when they get back.”
The boat is compartmentalized to keep supplies, an extra change of clothes and electronic gadgets dry as he navigates the currents. Cook is equipped with a GPS system, tracking device, laptop computer and cell phone, which are recharged using a solar panel. The equipment allows others to follow his journey online through his Web site, www.riversofrecovery.com.
Cook, 38, isn’t a veteran, but he has witnessed how recreational activities can help people overcome disabilities. His brother, Steve, lost his leg in a farming accident as a teen but went on to become a world champion Paralympics skier.
A couple of years ago, inspired by news of injured and traumatized soldiers returning home, Cook decided to give up his gig as a trader on Wall Street to start a program for disabled veterans. Rivers of Recovery, a not-for-profit organization, allows veterans dealing with physical disabilities, post-traumatic stress disorder or traumatic brain injuries to spend two days fly-fishing in the Green River in Utah.
Cook is convinced the activity is more than just a feel-good experience. A study of the program being conducted this year is expected to reveal whether recreational activities have positive effects not only on the mind, but also on the body by lowering adrenaline levels and boosting the immune system.
“My hope is that the VA will recognize recreational rehabilitation as a legitimate practice and incorporate it into mainstream care,” Cook said.
Veterans at Truman Memorial Veterans’ Hospital in Columbia occasionally have the chance to fly-fish through the Capital City Fly Fishers organization out of Jefferson City, said Stephen Gaither, public affairs officer for the local VA.
Logistically, though, it would be tough to incorporate outdoor activities into daily therapies, he said. While the VA recognizes the importance of recreation, “ours tends to be a lot of diversionary activities — bingo, crafts, computerized Wii games, those kinds of things.”
Reach Janese Heavin at 573-815-1705 or e-mail jheavin@columbiatribune.com.
May 29, 2009
Columbia Missourian
Rowing for Veterans
COLUMBIA — On April 6, stocked with donated military meals ready to eat, a solar panel and a cushion, Dan Cook set out on a 3,700-mile rowing expedition down the Missouri River on a small wooden boat. Since then, he's been on the water 15 hours a day, every day.
Cook started his journey in Montana. His destination? The Gulf of Mexico.
- "These are third-generation callouses," says Dan Cook, who is paddling his dory 3,700 miles down the Missouri and Mississippi rivers to raise awareness for disabled veterans and the benefits of recreational rehabilitation.
"It's not a float trip," Cook said. "These trips are a test both physically and mentally."
Cook's trip is sponsored by Rivers of Recovery, a non-profit program that helps raise awareness for veterans with disabilities. As executive director of the program, Cook is stopping at major metropolitan areas along the Missouri River and visiting veterans' hospitals to get the word out about the physiological benefits of recreational activity.
Rivers of Recovery provides free river expeditions for not only veterans with physical disabilities, but also those suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. This year, for example, it is inviting veterans to a three-night, two-day fly-fishing trip on the Green River in Utah, according to a program pamphlet.
"I've seen veterans from Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan, and we help those from all branches of the military," Cook said.
Through the use of recreational rehabilitation such as fly-fishing and simple exposure to the wilderness, the program helps veterans reassimilate to society.
"(The veterans) come back and receive medical treatment, and then they're kicked out the door considered 'rehabilitated,'" Cook said. "But readjusting back into everyday life is their biggest struggle."
Cook mentioned a veteran with post-traumatic stress disorder who Cook helped get his first night's rest without the help of sedatives.
Cook looks like a man who's been on the ocean and underneath the intense rays for years. His straight, short hair is dark, yet retains a sun-bleached sandy color resembling that of a surfer.
"One of the things I forgot when I set out in the beginning was that I was going to be on my butt for the majority of the trip, and I'm a little sore," Cook said without an air of actual complaint.
He has "three generations of callouses" on his hands and a tan that resembles that of the Cuban fisherman in "The Old Man and the Sea." He prefers sandals, and he never takes off his black sunglasses. His demeanor is unflinching, and he speaks with an absolute confidence in his work and a deep respect for those who've served.
Cook captains a small, 17-foot wooden boat called a dory that he designed and had made in Salt Lake City. Painted on the side is the name Buzz Holstrom, who was a pioneer in river rowing in the 1930s and '40s. The dory has a sturdy design that Cook said was built for whitewater rafting. It has a retractable tent that can be erected in less than a minute for harsh weather conditions and protection against blood-sucking mosquitoes.
Rowing down the river has proved hazardous at times, but Cook insists on rowing in the channel because that's where the current is the fastest. Since he started his trip up in Three Forks, Mont., Cook has endured freezing rain, dense fog, scorching heat and even a blizzard.
He has slept on the dory every night since April 6 and strives to live a life as similar to a soldier's as possible. The solar panel absorbs enough juice to power a cell phone charger, and the food he eats — meals ready to eat, or MREs — cook themselves through a chemical reaction.
"I can't really travel down the river in a luxury yacht, because veterans can't connect," Cook said.
Originally an energy trader on Wall Street for 15 years, Cook found the inspiration to get involved in veteran rehabilitation from his brother, who lost a leg in a farming accident and then went on to win seven medals as a Paralympics athlete.
"Many times people react aesthetically to disabled veterans, thinking that if they're broken on the outside, then they're broken on the inside as well, and that's not true," Cook said.
The rower's next stop is the VA Medical Center at Jefferson Barracks in St. Louis. Rivers of Recovery seeks to get the families of veterans involved, too, helping to foster enjoyment and relaxation.
"They sign on the dotted line to protect this country, and they come back and they're ignored," Cook said. "So rather than assuming there was a program out there that existed already, I just created one."
»Contact an editor with corrections or additional information
May 26, 2009
Kansas City Star
Missouri River journey aims to help wounded veterans
But Cook didn’t complain. This isn’t a vacation, he said Monday.
Cook is on a 3,700-mile journey by boat to raise awareness and generate funding for wounded combat veterans and their families.
On April 6, he launched his 17-foot vessel at the headwaters of the Missouri River in Montana. His trip won’t conclude until he reaches the Gulf of Mexico on June 30.
Along the route, Cook, 38, stops at veterans hospitals to tell medical professionals about his nonprofit agency, Rivers of Recovery, which uses recreational therapy as rehabilitation for veterans.
The program brings veterans to Utah to learn fly-fishing. Cook said the peaceful setting provides an outdoor escape for active and discharged military personnel. At least one veteran has told Cook that it was the first time he slept through the night without the help of prescription medicine.
Cook isn’t a veteran. He started the nonprofit because “it’s important for people to recognize recreational rehabilitation,” he said.
Cook has no official support team, but a few volunteers have stepped up to help, said Gary Greaves, who helps coordinate news coverage.
Cook survives mainly on meals ready to eat. He consumes 4,000 to 5,000 calories a day but has still lost about 8 pounds.
Cook said he spends every night aboard the boat. He avoids “creature comforts” such as hotels as a reminder of the hardships military personnel undergo daily.
“It wouldn’t quite be the same statement if I was staying at the Renaissance every night,” he said.
Cook does use a generator and solar energy to power his cell phone, a Web camera and other items that allow him to stay in touch and educate others while he’s on the river.
Rain or shine, he’ll be back on the Missouri today, on his way to his next destination.
To reach Dawn Bormann, call 816-234-5992 or send e-mail to dbormann@kcstar.com.
May 25, 2009
Kansas City Fox4 coverage
http://www.fox4kc.com/wdaf-rivers-of-recovery-story-52509,0,5421133.story
May 15, 2009
Omaha World Herald: River trip honors Veterans
What's Happening: River trip honors veterans
He’s worked hard. And there’s more work to do.
It isn't a vacation or a workout regimen (although Cook’s dropped about eight pounds on his diet of MREs, health bars and protein shakes).
Cook’s three-month trip down the Missouri and Mississippi rivers is an effort to raise awareness of the issues facing disabled veterans.
Cook is executive director of Rivers of Recovery, an organization that uses fly fishing to provide a sort of recreational rehabilitation for disabled veterans.
Cook called the trip "just a small cog" in his group’s overall mission.
"This is not a leisure trip," he said. "Every day, my goal is to get as far down the river as I can . . . so I row 12 to 14 hours, really no breaks."
Cook had a tent pitched on his dory Friday as rain threatened, and he talked about the importance of his mission. Camping out on the dory, as opposed to getting a motel room, is part of the effort.
"This is . . . a tribute to our servicemen and women who are putting their lives at risk for us," he said. "I can go three months without creature comforts to honor them."
Cook said everyone has a stake in the future of our veterans, specifically disabled veterans.
"There’s all this talk about economics, our economy, financial state of things," he said. "I think that unless we ensure that this generation of veterans reaches their full potential, we’ll eventually have a deficit of leadership."
Cook can log about 80 miles a day, rowing the 1,000-lb. dory. He began in early April from Three Forks, Mont., at Missouri Headwaters State Park. He will finish in the Gulf of Mexico, a distance of approximately 3,700 miles. He hopes to reach the gulf by June 30.
The idea is to raise awareness, not just for his program, but for all issues facing disabled veterans, Cook said.
"Sometimes you have to do something epic in order to get people’s attention," he said. "Whether people think this was a crazy idea or whatever, at least it got their attention briefly and we could spread our message."
Cook was planning to continue down the river Friday and spend the night at Haworth Park in Bellevue. For more information on Rivers of Recovery and its programs, go to www.riversofrecovery.org.
May 12, 2009
Sioux City Journal frontpage article
Man on a mission
Solo trip down Missouri attempts to help disabled veterans
By Bret Hayworth | Posted: Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Cook is midway through a 3,700-mile journey from the beginning of the Missouri River in Montana to the Gulf of Mexico to tout Rivers of Recovery, a program that uses fly fishing in the Green River a few hours from Park City, Utah, to give vets a meaningful recreational rehabilitation experience.
Cook was the subject of a September 2008 NBC Nightly News piece on a fly fishing program for disabled veterans. When he decided he wanted to draw greater publicity for nonprofit Rivers for Recovery, he stayed with the river.
Cook, 38, stopped Monday in Sioux City and will depart this morning. Keeping true to his Spartan approach to the trip with no support crew and speaking from Scenic Park in South Sioux City, he recounted declining the offer of a hotel room and pointed to the 17.2-foot dory.
"That's my home for three months," he said.
Sioux City was a place traveled through by the 1803-06 Lewis and Clark Expedition in opening up the American west. Cook recounted tales from the expedition and seemed to relish his status as a latter-day explorer himself.
He's experienced snow, sleet, fog and sunburn, all while seeing no one other human on the river. Pulling the two oars for 12 to 14 hours per day sees him burning about 5,000 calories daily.
"It is not a leisurely transit down the river," Cook said.
On a good day, Cook figures he'll be able to make 80 to 90 miles with the current, but he hasn't seen such a day since embarking on April 6. The best has been 63 miles; the worst less than 10 miles as he bucked a 40 mph wind and had to pull the dory by rope from the shore. He figures he will be done by June 30.
"I've enjoyed it. It has been quite a challenge. I think people forget there's an adventure of this magnitude still in our backyard," he said.
Along the rowing journey, Cook stops at Veterans Administration facilities to check in with patients and doctors, and he's hoping to gain some financial donations from those along the way who like the sound of the Rivers for Recovery program. Through the fly fishing program, he's seen steely vets finally open up about their rehabilitation and war experiences.
"From my perspective, this is some symbolic duty which represents just my effort to raise awareness of issues facing disabled veterans," he said.
"A lot of people think that once they're released from the VA facility that's when everything is OK. From my experience, in talking with the veterans that come through our programs, that's when biggest challenges start -- reacclimating with society."
May 12, 2009
Sioux City Journal multimedia
http://videos.siouxcityjournal.com/p/video?id=4099188
May 12, 2009
NBC KTIV Sioux City: Rowing down the Missouri for Veterans of War
Video from the KTIV evening news:
May 08, 2009
Sioux City, Iowa
Greetings from Sioux City!
I arrived yesterday around 1:30pm and set up my temporary home at the Scenic Park campground in South Sioux City, NE. After a shower (my 2nd since departing from Three Forks, MT!) and a trip to the laundrymat, I feel almost back to normal.
On Monday and Tuesday, I will be meeting with the local TV, newspapers and radio to discuss the Heart of America campaign and spread the word about Rivers of Recovery. I am looking forward to beginning the promotional aspect of the HOA campaign.
Another big "thank you" goes out to the Army Corps of Engineers for their assistance in portaging the dams. The remaining 2,000+ miles will all be on on moving water!
Please check back regularly as specific events will be posted on this website.
Thank you to everyone who has provided support to the campaign!
May 03, 2009
Big Reservior transits are complete!
The large reserviors of Lake Oahe, Lake Sharpe and Lake Francis Case provided the biggest challenge of this journey. These lakes are notorious for tremendous winds which can leave paddlers stranded for days.
We were very fortunate to have completed these lakes successfully--and in record time! Lake Oahe was accomplished in 7 days (1 day was spent portaging around an ice jam), Lake Sharpe in 3 days (encountered ferocious headwinds on days 2 and 3) and Lake Francis Case in 2.75 days (like Lake Oahe, a near-miralce!).
There are 40 free-flowing river miles to the last reservior on the journey; the 20 mile Lake Lewis & Clark. After that it is 80 miles to Sioux City and our first BIG events.
A big thank you to the Army Corps of Engineers for providing assistance with the dam portages.
More to come from Sioux City in a few days!
April 12, 2009
Location: Fort Peck Dam
The Heart of America campaign got off to a great start on Monday afternoon, April 6th. We departed from the Missouri Headwaters State Park and made it past the Toston Dam that evening. After portaging around Canyon Ferry, Hauser and Holter Reservoirs due to ice, the 90 mile stretch into Great Falls went smoothly. We were even welcomed into the city by representatives of the local media!
Craig Madsen of Montana River Outfitters was kind enough to give me and the "Buzz" a ride around the dams and to Carter Ferry, where I got back on the river and made it to Fort Benson that night.
The next day we battled tremendous headwinds, but managed to cover 48 miles. The next two days were calm and we pulled into James Kipp Recreational Area at 3pm on Saturday. Disappointingly, Fort Peck Reservoir has not melted as anticipated and we were forced to portage around the reservoir. A big thanks to Josh and Aaron at Thompson & Son's Towing for the unconventional, yet effective ride.
Tomorrow, I will be back on the river first at first light. Thank you to all the people who have offered encouragement and support along the way!
Dan