On June 23-26, 42 injured service members from the western half of the United States — including eight from Colorado — embarked on a 40-mile journey through the peaks and valleys of Colorado Springs during the fourth annual Wounded Warrior Project Soldier Ride.
“Participating in the soldier ride meant a lot to me, especially right now,” said retired U.S. Army Sgt. Lloyd Meredith, a Banning Lewis Ranch resident. “I am still recovering from surgeries and I still have bad days, but to be together with other individuals who served and went through some of the same things as me meant a lot.”
Colorado Springs is one of more than 30 cities across the country hosting the event this year. Civilians, veterans and a handful of volunteers stood at the start and finish lines of the ride, offering support and encouragement to the warriors participating in the rehabilitative cycling journey.
“If you want to see a veteran at ease with his surroundings, put him with 50 or so other veterans and give them a few hours,” Meredith said.
The weekend’s events began June 23 when participants were fitted with adaptive equipment to meet their specific needs such as hand-cycles, trikes and bikes, which are theirs to borrow for the event. On June 24, participants went on a 15-mile ride through Garden of the Gods, starting at the Garden of the Gods Visitor Center and ending at the Olympic Training Center.
The next day, the event continued with a 25-mile ride starting at Prairie Winds Elementary School in Monument and ending at the Air Force Academy’s Falcon Stadium. This was the first year the race started or ended on the academy.“I hope it is the beginning of a great partnership with the Air Force Academy,” said Greg Monck, alumni manager for the Wounded Warrior Project.
The four-day cycling event was inspired by civilian Chris Carney, who rode his bicycle more than 5,000 miles from coast to coast in 2004 to raise money for and awareness about the Wounded Warrior Project. The following year, Carney made the journey again, accompanied by several combat-wounded Iraq and Afghanistan War veterans. The Soldier Ride was created to commemorate Carney’s trek and to serve as a rehabilitative event for veterans. Wounded Warrior Project hosts Soldier Ride events across the country at no charge to participants to bring injured service members together for a long weekend focused on physical health, wellness, camaraderie and healing. The event is not a race; the pace of the group is set by the slowest warrior. During the cycling journey, soldiers draw on their “bonds of service to overcome physical, mental, or emotional wounds,” according to the Wounded Warrior Project website. The program also introduces military members and veterans to the programs and charity Wounded Warrior Project offers. For more information on the Wounded Warrior Project, visit woundedwarriorproject.org.
On June 25, wounded warriors took their second rehabilitative cycling journey of the Wounded Warrior Project Soldier Ride, a 40-mile cycling event, including a 25-mile trek from Monument to the Air Force Academy’s Falcon Stadium. Photos by Melissa Rolli
Civilians, veterans and a handful of volunteers stood at the start and finish of the ride, offering support and encouragement to the warriors participating in the rehabilitative cycling journey.