DE PERE (NBC 26) — A De Pere veteran is turning his love of sailing into a mission to help fellow service members find connection after they leave the military.
Jack Gage founded a nonprofit called the Patriot Racing Project, which brings veterans together on the water to rebuild the sense of community many lose when they exit the service.
"When you get out of the military, you just start to miss something that you never thought you were going to miss, and that's that peer support you had when you were in the military and being surrounded by people who understand you," Gage said.
Gage, who serves as president and founder of the Patriot Racing Project, said he personally struggled with that loss of connection after his own service.
"It's always nice to be back home and see the people you know, but things are just kind of never the same again," Gage explained.
He took up sailing for comfort and eventually decided to share the experience with fellow veterans.
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"[I] Started getting to thinking, well, there's kind of something to this, something really enjoyable about doing this," Gage remembers.
His nonprofit aims to provide an alternative to traditional mental health resources, which Gage says many veterans avoid due to stigma.
"In the military, there can be a massive stigma on clinical assistance or visiting the doctor at all, so with that stigma, a lot of veterans never pursue help," noted Gage.
Sailing, he said, offers a stigma-free path to healing.
"Quite literally, your problems are miles away back on shore, and sailing itself is and of itself an incredibly liberating experience," Gage explained. "There's the peace and quiet, the open water, and you're just sailing with the people who know what it's like to be you."
The Patriot Racing Project focuses on reaching veterans who are newest to civilian life, when Gage says they are most vulnerable.
Gary DeGreef, a veteran who serves on the nonprofit's board of directors, said the mission comes down to something simple:
"The best way you can make yourself happy is make somebody else happy," DeGreef said. "Friendship is everything."
For Gage, the project has been personally rewarding as well.
"This program has not only worked for veterans, but it's also been a part of something that's helped me, too," said Gage. "Veterans are certainly getting a lot out of it."
Veterans interested in sailing with the Patriot Racing Project can click here for information about how to get involved.
