Written by Some might think they are crazy. I know they are onto something. The military did not my limb loss or CPTSD. Instead, the military gave me the coping tools, to overcome adversity and get back to work. But what if there is no work to get back to? With one working limb, I can no longer sell my crafts in person. So I created SexyViking.com to provide the work part of recovery.
In the US state Florida, veterans are planning to cross the Atlantic in a longship built in Denmark to boost mental health. In the English town Darlington, a group of veterans has built a 30 foot long boat named Stormbird for the same reason.
Stormbird draws its name from the source of it’s planks. They were sourced from an oak tree which was felled in 2018 on the anniversary of D-Day.
“It’s about helping people to cope with the stress and trauma they have been through and putting it into a perspective that they can manage.” – Bob Marshall, chief executive of The Viking Boat Company
Based on a historic Viking Age longboat discovered in Denmark in the 1970s, Stormbird took hundreds of volunteer hours to complete. Work on the 30 foot replica longboat began in 2021.
“Our purpose is to help ex-military personnel develop mental resilience and coping strategies to counter the effects of PTSD, anxiety, stress, loneliness, and isolation sustained due to military service. We offer reintegration into a society from which many feel excluded and abandoned and develop active and fulfilling lives. We operate in a familiar, inclusive, non-judgemental, and supportive environment.” – From the Viking Boat Company’s website
Veterans who participated did not only gain coping mechanisms for managing PTSD, anxiety and stress. They learned woodcarving, wood turning and metalworking skills. A person could call it Viking art therapy. I call it work and veterans needs that in their lives.
“It is not about a boat, it’s not about wood. We’re making boats, but we’re actually rebuilding people.” – Bob Marshall