“Giants” | Ryan “Koup” Kuperus
Giants walk among us. They have sacrificed for this country, and sometimes return broken, and need the outdoors and hunting to save them from self-destruction. This is a story of one of them. His name is Ryan J. Kuperus. Retired Gunnery Sergeant United States Marine Corps. Koup is a highly decorated combat veteran including a Navy Commendation Medal with Valor and a Purple Heart Medal.
In 2007 he was in Humvee rollover breaking his femur, his back, and as he sat at home he realized he was broken physically and mentally. He needed to do something to avoid spiraling out of control. So he picked up a bow, starting hobbling around in the woods with a back brace. What he found was healing not physically, but mentally and spirtually. Being in the woods was better therapy than he received from any doctors office or any prescription medication.
Koup is on a mission now. He is engaging other combat veterans and wounded warriors, exposing them to the outdoors with like minded individuals and other American patriots and thus providing them healing, purpose, and showing them that they are not alone and their struggles are shared by fellow veterans and the people of this nation.
Koup is engaged in an outfitting business in North Carolina where he is hosting wounded veterans through his non-profit for the sole purpose to give them what got him through those tough times after returning from combat. He wants to give back. He is giving back. The mechanism that he know works to give back, engage, and love on his fellow brothers is through hunting.
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