Golf Clubs and Lessons for Nick Dorward, U.S. Navy Veteran.

Nick shared his bio with us:

"I was born in Newcastle, England, in the early 90s. From an entirely British family, we had no plans to move to America until we vacationed (or holidayed) in Florida in the fall of 1999. I instantly fell in love, as did the family, so we moved here six months later. We lived in the Bradenton/Lakewood Ranch area until I moved to Tallahassee to finish my bachelor's degree at Florida State University. Go Noles! I bounced around different jobs and cities from Atlanta to Jax to Bradenton and even tried returning to school.

Going back to school wasn't going as planned, and I was unsure what to do. I had also considered joining the military and even taken the ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery) a couple of times. I was finally ready to enlist and learn a new skill. Part of me wanted to do this to "earn" the citizenship that I was granted years before.

During my four years in the U.S. Navy, I spent a year in school to learn calibration before getting stationed on NASNI (Naval Air Station North Island, Coronado, CA.) I enjoyed my time in, learning a lot, and meeting amazing people. I was planning on staying in, but then Covid happened. I decided it was time to be closer to friends and family, so I moved back to Jacksonville and was fortunate enough to find K9s for Warriors, which is more than a job. They are a family.

I struggled a little with mental health during my transition back to civilian life, and thanks to some therapy, my friends, family (work and real), and most importantly, my dog Hunter, I am stronger now than ever. Learning new coping mechanisms is how I was able to find this absolutely amazing organization. I want to say thank you to Jeff and Xiomara for all you do. If you are a veteran who is struggling, please know that you aren't alone, and help is available if you reach out."