AUSTIN, Texas — Austin veterans learned their way around an oar for the Department of Veteran Affairs Experience Rowing event.

Veterans gathered at 'Experience Rowing' event

September was Suicide Prevention Month

Even aimed to promote mental, physical health

The VA and Central Texas Veterans Health Care Systems held the event in honor of September being Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. VA's Suicide Prevention Coordinator Kathryn Bongiovanni said the goal was to create connections between veterans to keep them mentally and physically healthy.

"We want to combat isolation," Bongiovanni said. "Make sure folks don't begin to isolate from their family... from their community."

According to a national VA study, an average of 20 veterans committed suicide every day from 2001 to 2014. Veterans made up 18 percent of all suicide deaths in the country during that period.

U.S. Army Veteran Keena Avery said events like this help him work through his trauma from his time serving with other people.

"I was in desert storm and the Iraq war and then I was in a helicopter crash," Avery said. "That helps out a lot of stuff from nightmares and memories so it just eases your mind to be in the water.​"