From Fish Tales to Healing Trails

“My son always said, ‘You talk about big fish, but I only see small fish photos.’”  That problem would be solved for the Marine combat engineer attending the Offshore Experience in April…and many times over for the whole group!

April is the end of the busy fishing season at Los Sueños Resort & Marina in Costa Rica.  It is one of the top destinations in the world for fishing – and not only because of its year-round fisheries, but because of the lush and scenic environment created by visionary Bill Royster. The participants of the Offshore Experience receive their first gift in the form of housing for the week in a condo located in one of the beautiful resort communities – donated by grateful Americans in honor of their service.

Staying in a Miramar condo donated by the Johnson family of South Carolina were Army veteran Omar J. and a Marine veteran Lawrence D.  Omar served for a four-year enlistment term in the Infantry and deployed to Iraq for an elongated tour in 2003-2005.  Lawrence served 21 years in the Marine Corps as an artilleryman and deployed to Iraq in 2005.  Omar and Lawrence had met over a decade prior during group therapy sessions in their area of California. 

Gerald & Virginia Lindholm, long-time supporters of Freedom Alliance, donated use of a condo in the Veranda community which overlooks the golf course and a pool.  Housed in this unit was Marine veteran Ian M. and Army veteran Matt T.  Ian served as a combat engineer and fought in Ramadi, Iraq twice – first in 2005 and again in 2006-07.  Matt served 20 years in the Army as a Military Policeman and was also in Ramadi in 2006.  He was wounded during an explosion and suffered burns to 20% of his body.

Excitement grew as the men walked down the marina on their first morning in Costa Rica to meet Mike Winget, a resident of Utah, who offered to host the men on his 74’ Hatteras “Karie Marie”.  Mike welcomed them onboard and we set out from Herradura Bay across the Gulf of Nicoya to Curu for a wildlife hike.  Along the way, we spotted part of a tree floating in the waters and when Mike saw the fish-frenzy excitement in their eyes, he diverted course so we cast a few lines and lure out any fish taking refuge in the debris.  Sure enough, Omar landed a Pacific Tripletail – and what would be the first catch of the week. 

We continued on to the park, disembarking the boat and taking the dinghy to shore.  Curu National Wildlife Refuge is privately-owned and consists of about 3700 acres of undeveloped land.  During our 5-kilometer hike, the veterans saw tons of wildlife to include capuchin monkeys, deer, macaws, and howler monkeys. 

Mike said, “Believe me it is an honor to do whatever I can for these great American soldiers. I really like the way you break up the sessions now to add fun to some serious in-depth self analysis. It’s a great program and I’m proud to be part of it.”

The group returned to begin the first of their seven group sessions – part of the program that was developed with the help of Dr Edward Tick, a psychotherapist renowned for several books on understanding the burdens of war.

The next day, their excitement was barely contained while eating breakfast at Dolce Vita in the Los Sueños Marina Village.  To protect their skin from the equatorial sun, they were outfitted in Tunaskin Aquatic Apparel with artwork featuring marine wildlife artist Steve Goione, and protecting their eyes while giving them an advantage to see the fish more clearly, they had selected polarized sunglasses donated by Hook Optics. 

Our first day of fishing was donated by Kevin and Jackie Kopp of Indiana on their 50’ Blackwell “Family & Friends”.  Kevin’s father and brother both served in the Marine Corps and this was the second consecutive year donating to our program.  Rumors around the marina was that the fishing was “slow”, so we were prepared for a long day in the sun with a few catches.  However, Captain Joshua Porras Duran wasn’t curtailing his own expectations and took us 60 miles south to where some boats had done decently the day before.  The morning produced a few sailfish and by the afternoon, it was full on!  We got bite after bite and ended up releasing 12 sailfish – every veteran catching three sails each!

The next day, we were with “Fish Tank”, donated by Chris and Laura Jessen of Florida.  Chris says it is his “favorite fishing day of the year” and has been hosting veterans with Freedom Alliance since 2017.  They even made a financial gift this year that covered the flight costs for this group.

Chris welcomed the veterans onboard that morning and introduced us to the team: Captain Ben Horning and Dillon and Moose in the cockpit.  Unlike most of the boats that morning that headed south, we shot straight out for about 40 miles offshore, and within minutes, a billfish was crashing into the teaser.

All of a sudden, Captain Ben spotted a pod of tunas breaking the surface in the distance and asked if we wanted to give it a try…and the men couldn’t have been more enthusiastic!  Sure enough, even before we hit the main group busting on the surface, we had a tuna on the end of the line.  Ian was the next up and powered what looked to be a 60-70 lb tuna to the boat. 

For their final day in Costa Rica, we headed out to Vista Los Sueños Adventure Park.  The park is a frequent destination for tourists in the area seeking thrills, and we signed up for the 2-hour ATV ride through the jungle, with a stop at a swimming hole to jump in the mountain-cooled waters for refreshment.  The men had a blast navigating through the streams, puddles, and jungle foliage – all smiles from beginning to end. 

We returned to clean up and eat lunch at the resort’s Beach Club and restaurant, where we ran into Mr. Bill Royster.  Mr. Royster is the visionary who created Los Sueños resort and has supported our programming for over a decade.  He greeted the men who responded with compliments.  “You have done an amazing thing here,” said Ian while shaking hands. 

The remainder of the day was dedicated to finishing our group sessions, only breaking for dinner at a beachfront restaurant where the men were told to order what their heart desired, don’t hold back thanks to a generous donation by Jamie Turner of Ringer Swivels.  Jamie sent in a financial contribution to cover the dinners for the week.

They left the resort the following morning in awe of the many contributions folks had made in their honor, including the Altorfers of Florida who made a significant contribution during their event that ensured the programming for the year would be covered. 

We received some great feedback from this group, including the following from Ian:

“Freedom Alliance has gone above and beyond this was a trip of a lifetime for me. Pepper was very professional and the perfect person to lead my group. He introduced me to a different way to think about things that happened during the war which was something I needed. The trip was bananas: we did some hiking through the rainforest and the Howler monkeys made all kinds of noises. The fishing was incredible, the guys on Family& Friends put us on a ton of fish. The next day Fish Tank took us out and they put on a show for us, huge pods of dolphins then giant tuna jumping out of the water. The last day we did a little ATV riding up and down in the rainforest through some creeks it had some incredible views.Everyone I encounter during my stay at Los Sueños was amazing and ‘thank you’ to the staff, boat owners and Freedom Alliance for everything you have done me and my family.”

Omar wrote: “Love Freedom Alliance ! They’re All about making a huge difference in this world in a beautiful and an authentic way. Thank You Pepper Ailor, Family and Friends, Fish Tank, and All the captains, sponsors, doners, and volunteers that hosted us. Really had a phenomenal and memorable time in Costa Rica, at Los Sueños.Freedom Alliance has done so much for me in the last two years and has made a huge impact on my life, and in the life of other combat veterans. From Tournament style deep sea fishing trips, to special bonding sessions, hiking together and telling our stories. The event gave us a chance to talk about the difficult personal combat experiences of our military service. It really gave us a nurturing, healing, and safe environment in Costa Rica that really brought honor to us all.It was an amazing and unique fishery out there, catching and safely releasing these huge and beautiful sea creatures together. We will forever share with our family and friends these amazing stories from our trip for many years to come!Thank’s ggain for this extraordinary and incredible opportunity and experience.”

Matt emailed us his review which said:

“The Freedom Alliance Offshore experience was nothing short of exceptional. Designed around a mission-driven concept, the small group setting fostered genuine connection, camaraderie, and purpose. Every aspect of the experience was thoughtfully curated to serve those who have served, and it showed in every detail.

The facilities—generously donated—were top notch. From the comfortable, well-appointed living quarters to the high-end boats and quality fishing equipment, everything was first-class. These resources elevated the entire experience, making it not only enjoyable but truly once-in-a-lifetime.

One of the most impactful aspects was the opportunity to meet and interact with the generous donors who made the trip possible. Their humility and support for veterans was both humbling and inspiring. It’s clear that the Freedom Alliance community is deeply committed to giving back in a meaningful way.

I would be honored to have the opportunity to be invited back. This experience left a lasting impression, and I’m incredibly grateful for the support and generosity extended by all involved.”