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Deke Letson

@dekeletson

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Last week I was flown out to Oakley, Utah for something I never saw coming: a seat at The Fire Pit for @unitedbynatureorg on YouTube, going head to head with an incredible young man named @nathantan323, a conservationist doing incredible prairie restoration work through the @rootsandshoots program under the @janegoodallinst Foundation. @johaus hosted the show, and she was an absolute blast, sharp, funny, and made everyone feel completely at ease. We came from completely different worlds and probably disagree on plenty. Didn’t matter once we sat down.

The whole thing was filmed at a house you’ll recognize if you watched Season 2 of Yellowstone, and honestly the location was the least impressive part. I met people from Survivor, hunters, a fishing show host, folks working in tech, farmers, conservationists from as far as the UK, wildly different backgrounds and opinions, all in one place. Every single one of them showed up welcoming and genuine, ready to actually talk instead of talk past each other. That’s rare. Huge thank you to Ben Shelton, Joanna Hausmann, and the entire crew, who were nothing but amazing from start to finish. Made lifelong friends in just a couple of days. Beyond honored to have been part of it!

#UnitedByNature #VeteransExplorationTherapy #Conservation #JaneGoodallFoundation #RootsAndShoots PrairieRestoration Veterans VeteranOwned OutdoorEducation Wildlife NatureConnection CommonGround StorytellersUnite Yellowstone Utah OakleyUtah ConservationMatters VeteranStory StrongerTogether GratitudePost taken in Oakley, Utah by @dekeletson

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2 months ago

Proudest dad in the world moment!! by @dekeletson

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5 months ago

What an unforgettable night! It was an incredible honor to be recognized as the Hero of the Game at last night’s Denver Nuggets game. Standing in front of thousands of fans at Ball Arena, representing my fellow veterans and the work we do with Veterans Exploration Therapy, was truly humbling.

A huge thank you to the @nuggets and King Soopers for making this moment so special, and an extra shoutout to @whatifitallgoesright for the nomination—your support means the world.

Moments like this remind me why I do what I do. Veterans deserve adventure, purpose, and a community that’s got their back. Let’s keep pushing forward!

#HeroOfTheGame #DenverNuggets #VeteransExplorationTherapy #VeteransHelpingVeterans #PushPastYourFears #EmbraceTheSUCK taken in Ball Arena by @dekeletson

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3 months ago

Let’s not forget by @dekeletson

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5 months ago

Last Friday I had the honor of taking the Center Stage at @hikeexpo Colorado to deliver my talk, “The Hard Way Home: Turning Pain Into Purpose,” and I’m still feeling it.

A massive shoutout to Celeste Miranda and the entire Hike Expo team for making this happen. The work they put into creating an event this powerful, this well-run, and this full of genuine community does not go unnoticed. The opportunity to share our mission on that stage means more than words can do justice.

This event brings together some of the most passionate, mission-driven people in the outdoor industry, and getting to share the stage with that caliber of speakers meant everything. We talked about the hard stuff, the stuff that doesn’t always make it into the highlight reel, and the room showed up for every word of it. That’s what this community is built on.

To everyone who came out, stayed after, and shared their own stories with me, thank you. You reminded me exactly why we do this work. The wilderness has always been the place where healing happens, and events like Hike Expo prove that the people in this industry understand that better than most.

Can’t wait for next year!

#HikeExpo #HikeExpoColorado #TheHardWayHome #VeteransExplorationTherapy TurningPainIntoPurpose OutdoorIndustry VeteransMentalHealth EmbraceTheSUCK OutdoorHealing SpeakerLife MissionDriven VeteranWellness GoogleFiber Battery621 ThePublicWorks ScheelsColoradoSprings SunstateEquipment FirstNationGroupAtClubColorado taken in Gaylord Rockies Resort, Denver by @dekeletson

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5 months ago

I don’t have the words. But I’m going to try.

Today, on Armed Forces Day and Military Appreciation Day at the Colorado @rockies , @vetxtherapy was honored on the field at @thecoorsfield, right behind home plate. Walking onto a Major League Baseball field was a childhood dream in the first place. To do it representing veterans and their families? That hit different than anything I can describe.

And then the Colorado Rockies Foundation awarded us a $15,000 grant.

I stood there in that moment and just tried to take it all in. Every veteran we’ve served, every family who trusted us, every late night building something from nothing because we believed it mattered. We are beyond grateful and more motivated than ever to keep going.

Thank you, Colorado Rockies Foundation. From the bottom of our hearts.

#VeteransExplorationTherapy #ColoradoRockies #ArmedForcesDay #MilitaryAppreciationDay RockiesFoundation VeteransMentalHealth OutdoorTherapy Veterans VeteranSupport ColoradoVeterans HonorAndService MilitaryFamilies Nonprofit ColoradoNonprofit VetsMatter ServiceBeforeSelf GoogleFiber Battery621 ThePublicWorks ScheelsColoradoSprings SunstateEquipment FirstNationGroupAtClubColorado taken in Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Denver, CO by @dekeletson

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On May 15 I’m taking the stage at the @hikeexpo and I would love to see your face in the crowd!

My talk is called “The Hard Way Home: Turning Pain into Purpose” and I’m not holding anything back. Raw, real, and straight from experience. This one is going to hit different.

But honestly, the Hike Expo alone is worth showing up for!
This event brings together the best of the outdoor community, and the energy in that room is going to be something else. Gear, community, inspiration, and people who actually live this lifestyle. It’s the kind of day that reminds you why you get outside in the first place!
May 15. I’m showing up ready to leave everything on that stage. Come be there for it!

#HikeExpo #TheHardWayHome #Veterans #VeteransExplorationTherapy #Hiking OutdoorCommunity TurningPainIntoPurpose MentalHealth Veteran Colorado OutdoorTherapy PurposeDriven Storytelling VeteranVoices GetOutside LiveOutdoors Community VeteranMentalHealth Resilience taken in Gaylord Rockies Resort, Denver by @dekeletson

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5 months ago

Easily one of the wildest things I’ve ever done 😂 taken in Colorado Gator Farm by @dekeletson

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6 months ago

This past weekend, we ran our 100th program, and I keep coming back to one thing that never stops blowing me away. People like this man right here. Faces are blurred out because they are navigating the criminal justice system, but this is Veterans Treatment Court, and these participants earn the right to be out here by putting in the work where it matters most. This is who we get to show up for. This is who we built this for. Not perfection. Not polished stories. Real people doing the hard work to change their lives and refusing to quit when it would be easier to walk away.

If you remember the movie Old School, you remember Blue, and this guy is our Blue. He’s a senior, uses a walker to get around, and still shows up every single time, whether that’s shark cage diving, rock climbing, or, this weekend, flying in the wind tunnel at iFLY. He’s also an old rocker from the 60s, and he’ll make damn sure you know he doesn’t play no BS Zildjian. That’s just who he is. He shows up with personality, grit, and a mindset that refuses to slow down. He just keeps saying yes. He refuses to let life define his limits, and I can’t tell you how much respect I have for that.

What hits me the most is that this is exactly why we do what we do. It’s not about how hard you get knocked down. It’s about how you respond, how you get back up, and how you keep putting one foot in front of the other even when it’s not easy. This man embodies that. He exemplifies what it means to keep fighting, to stay engaged, and to choose growth over comfort every single time.

I’m beyond honored, grateful, and blessed to call this my life’s work, and I can’t wait to see where the next 100 programs take us. We’re just getting started!!

#VeteransExplorationTherapy #veterans #veterancommunity #veteransupport #mentalhealth outdoortherapy adventuretherapy veteranshelpingveterans community resilience keepgoing challengebychoice purpose growth neverquit ifly windtunnel adaptandovercome inspiration nonprofitlife givingback GoogleFiber Battery621 ThePublicWorks ScheelsColoradoSprings SunstateEquipment FirstNationGroupAtClubColorado by @dekeletson

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7 months ago

We’re getting covered in the media again and it never gets old. Every time a story like this runs, it means more people hear about what we’re building and why it matters. @vetxtherapy continues to show up in these moments not because of hype, but because the work is real, the impact is real, and the stories coming out of our community deserve to be told!

We’re incredibly thankful to @fox31denver and Dan Daru for continuing to shine a light on the work we’re doing and the veterans and families we’re honored to serve! Media coverage like this helps amplify voices that deserve to be heard and reminds us just how powerful community, connection, and the outdoors can be. We’re grateful for the opportunity to share this mission and for partners who help bring these stories to the forefront!

If you haven’t seen it yet, check out the latest Fox 31 News coverage here and give them some love for supporting veterans and telling meaningful stories in our community!

#VeteransExplorationTherapy #VET #Fox31News #Veterans #OutdoorHealing CommunitySupport GoogleFiber Battery621 ThePublicWorks ScheelsColoradoSprings WestminsterRotaryClub SunstateEquipment FirstNationGroup adclubcolorado 988Colorado taken in Good Times Adventures by @dekeletson

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8 months ago

What I am about to tell you I have never said publicly before, honestly out of embarrassment (but today, I dont care what people think of me and it feels wonderful lol). Eight years ago today I woke up in a jail cell after getting pulled over the night before for not having my headlights on and ending up with a DUI. I lost my job. I was already spiraling completely out of control, and I hit absolute rock bottom. And as strange as it sounds, that moment was also the best thing that ever happened to me. It forced me to face myself when I had been running for years. From that night on, I have not had a single drop of alcohol. Not once.

Since then I walked into college and earned degrees in outdoor education, wilderness therapy, and nonprofit management. I worked my ass off to become the best version of myself I could possibly be. Completely by accident, I found a nonprofit where we use adventure as a way to reach veterans who have fallen through the cracks, and it changed my life. We have been on the news five times just since November. But none of that compares to this. I have never had a better relationship with my kids, and I have never been more grounded, present, and connected to the people in my life who love me. Over the past couple of years, I can honestly say I have never been happier in my entire life. It has been incredibly hard and the fight is not over, but I know who I am now and I know without hesitation that I will never have another drop of alcohol for the rest of my life.

If you are reading this and you are in a dark place, please hear me. No matter how deep the despair feels or how big the hole seems, it is not insurmountable. You can dig out of it. I am living proof of that. You do not have to do it alone, and you are not broken beyond repair. If you need help, I am right here for you. And if it is bigger than me, we have some truly incredible resources and people who care deeply and want to help. You matter more than you know, and your story is not over. by @dekeletson

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