Reel Recovery is Looking for a Few Good Men
This September, Reel Recovery will be hosting another Midwest retreat for men living with cancer in the Wisconsin Driftless Area. Tom Sather from the WI Clearwaters Chapter, and Bruce Maher and Scott Wagner from the WI Kiap-TU-Wish Chapter are teaming up to host a Reel Recovery Retreat for men living with cancer at the Oxbow Hotel, Eau Claire, WI from September 4-6, 2024.
Reel Recovery is a national non-profit organization that conducts fly-fishing retreats for men living with cancer. Reel Recovery’s mission is to help men in the recovery process by sharing with them the healing powers of the sport of fly-fishing, while providing a safe, supportive environment to explore their personal experiences with cancer, with others who share their stories. Retreats are offered at no cost to the participants and are led by professional facilitators and expert fly-fishing instructors. Reel Recovery provides all meals, lodging and fly-fishing equipment, and no previous fishing experience is required. Reel Recovery’s overarching goal is to improve the lives of the men it serves.
Though only a few days in duration, a Reel Recovery Retreat can be a life-changing event for these men living with cancer. The Retreats provide male cancer patients with information, education and a network of support that will help them as they proceed through their cancer treatment and/or recovery. Retreat leaders provide participants an opportunity to gain new insights about living with cancer, about managing their disease and about coping with the psychological, social and emotional aspects of having cancer.
By sharing their stories with others who have gone through a variety of experiences with cancer, Retreat Participants learn about treatment options, navigating the healthcare system, dealing with insurance issues, facing mortality, coping with stressful family and work-related situations ─ in sum the whole gamut of experiences that life with cancer entails. By learning from others in similar situations, Retreat Participants gain a fresh perspective about their disease and renewed hope about fighting and surviving it.
Trout Unlimited members living with cancer are encouraged to sign up to participate in a Reel Recovery retreat, and to encourage men they know who are living with cancer to learn more about Reel Recovery. Trout Unlimited members are also encouraged to consider volunteering as a Fishing Buddy for future Reel Recovery Retreats.
Fishing Buddies pair up one-on-one with Retreat Participants to support and mentor them during the fly-fishing sessions of the Retreat.
For more information about signing up as a Retreat Participant, or volunteering as a Fishing Buddy for future retreats, contact Reel Recovery at info@reelrecovery.org or call 800-699-4490.
