DENVER — For Veterans Day, Veterans Exploration Therapy (VET) took a group of veterans to the Denver Aquarium for a unique form of therapy: shark cage diving. The organization’s mission goes beyond an adrenaline rush — it’s about helping veterans confront their fears and find renewed strength through shared experiences. In partnership with A1 Scuba & Travel, the veterans suited up for a controlled dive in the aquarium’s massive 280,000-gallon tank with sharks, turtles and other sea creatures gliding just inches from their faces.
Veterans like Andrew Follender know that battles don’t always end overseas. “I’m not one normally to go out and do veteran events. I don’t like large crowds, but who gets a chance to dive with sharks in Colorado?” Follender said.
For him, this Veterans Day experience was one he couldn’t pass up. After serving eight years, including a final tour in Afghanistan after 9/11, Follender returned home with hopes of becoming a pastry chef. But he found himself changed.
“War somehow kind of changed all that. I wasn’t the same person when I came back. Eventually, depression took over; I became homeless,” he said, recalling his suicidal lows.
“At my worst state, I was always in a state of panic, no matter where I was or what I was doing.” Two years ago, Follender discovered Veterans Exploration Therapy. Since then, he has joined three of the organization’s excursions, each one challenging him to push beyond his comfort zone.
Whi.
