My name is Eric Guzman and I am a veteran affiliated with the TRR chapter in Columbia, SC. I attended the rendezvous and it was a phenomenal experience for me and for my family. I was pleased beyond words that family was able to attend which for me was crucial because my wife recently returned from her deployment and this was a wonderful way for us to reconnect and for her and our daughter to do the same. Bill Finger was gracious enough to open his home to us for a night because we arrived early in order to take care of our people coming in. What a great display of kindness that was and it left a lasting impression on me and my family.

The actual clinic was pretty awesome because it was my first time on the Nantahala in a kayak and that was exciting and a great confidence booster for me as a kayaker. It served it’s purpose of getting me some quality time in my boat and it also helped me grow as a leader within our chapter in assisting other veterans in making their first descent of the Nantahala River. I saw our veterans grow as kayakers and team members as they overcame their fears of the biggest water they have been in up to that point. I couldn’t have been happier to see all of this unfold before me and I now see the benefits back here in Columbia because our chapter is just that much stronger.

The events held at the rendezvous offered a great variety to not only the hard boaters but to the families as well. I saw how much the other veterans from all over enjoyed taking their families on train rides, how people were interacting with one another, and also how vets caught up with each other after some time apart. These outings provide us veterans the opportunities to still feel like we are part of a team, just like we were when we were in the military. That is something that we miss and yearn for but is almost impossible to replicate so it is a big deal to all of us participating.

Overall, I can’t begin to tell you how much it helped me personally. This event helped me grow as a kayaker, as a leader within our chapter, as an advocate for Team River Runner, as a father to my daughter, and as a husband.

Thank you so much for having this event and it was definitely worth it. I hope that these events will continue to be held because they do so much more for us veterans than we could ever convey in words.

Sincerely,

Eric Guzman
TRR Columbia, SC