Photo credit: Neshan H. Naltchayan
Video credit: Janet Donovan
“American Heroes Fishing Challenge follows a group of recently wounded veterans from the war in Afghanistan, working to jump-start the healing process by going fishing.
Based on an idea by 11-year-old Jack Nixon, who thought that soldiers would “love it,” injured active-duty military travel from Walter Reed and Fort Belvoir military hospitals to New England to compete with 3,000 others in the Martha’s Vineyard Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby.
Some are just days out of surgery, while others are taking their first steps outdoors on new legs. At sea, there are no doctors and no physical therapy appointments. The one-hour special premieres Memorial Day, Monday, May 27, at 10 p.m. ET/PT on the National Geographic Channel.
The film features original music by seven-time Grammy-winning singer-songwriter John Mayer, who has dedicated himself to helping veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan readjust to life after deployment.” Production Notes.
Hosts included U.S. Senators Mary Landrieu (D-LA), John McCain (R-AZ), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI). Injured veterans featured in the film also attended.
