“Safe Waters”

“Learn that you’re safe in this water […] that you can support yourself in this water.” - Starr Nolan

Starr Nolan fell in love with fishing at a young age. Later in life, she was able to combine her passion with her professional life as a trauma therapist, which she has been for over 30 years.

Many people with cancer get diagnosed with PTSD as a result of the trauma involved. Nolan noticed that groups of women with cancer would sit around and discuss the trauma, making it worse. She saw the need for a new kind of therapy. Utilizing the knowledge from her years of trauma therapy work and her expertise in fly-fishing, she worked to create Casting Carolinas.

Casting Carolinas started in 2015 as a way to help women living with cancer build community and provide comprehensive support. Combining fly-fishing instruction with mindfulness education allows women living with all types of cancer to change their daily mental outlook.