Merrill Herzog is proud to announce that we have partnered with the non-profit organization Open Water.
With the majority of our employees and partners coming from communities that deal with PTSD on a daily basis; Operation Open water has taken an approach to anxiety management that empowers veteran's and first responder's to manage stressful situations and overcome challenges like they always have.
“Operation Open Water begins with the story of two men from different backgrounds who met on a beach and bonded over the experience of the ocean. Together Kyle Kelly and Danny Nichols aim to lead a movement where adventure is a backdrop for fellowship and reviving the soul of those who serve our communities and our country.

Kyle Kelly, SSG, US Army (Ret.) from a landlocked part of Texas experienced the ocean in a completely different way when he came to a veteran’s surf event. After several years of medical complications following a roadside bombing in Iraq, doctors finally made the decision to amputate his right leg below the knee. Kelly had also lost several other friends due to the experiences of war. The ocean, with its unpredictable waves and untamed currents, challenged Kelly to surrender to its strength and yet offered him a sense of peace and accomplishment in a way he’d never before experienced.

For Danny Nichols, the ocean had always been a refuge. World-class competitive surfer, industry insider and respected businessman with a strong desire for service , Nichols believes a session in the ocean can clear his mind and rejuvenate his spirits, whether he is surfing, foiling, or paddling.

When they met, they quickly saw how sharing the adventure and tumultuous beauty of the ocean could help other warriors, including veterans, active military or first responders, find the same peace, fellowship and rejuvenation that they experience. As co-founders of Operation Open Water, Kelly and Nichols aim to use ocean and other open water experiences to help heal the mind, strengthen the body and raise the spirits of first responders and veterans.”

Cited from https://www.operationopenwater.org/our-origin-story

For More Information Contact

media.relations@merrillherzog.com