U.S. Army veteran Andres Rosario achieved a pair of life-long dreams two years ago.
Now he’s sharing those dreams with fellow veterans thanks to Hope For The Warriors and its Warrior’s Wish program, according to a release from the nonprofit.
Rosario’s wish was for a paramotor trike, glider wing and safety gear to pursue his newfound love of powered paragliding. He also wanted to introduce other veterans to the experience he has found so therapeutic. Rosario’s wish was granted by Hope For The Warriors and he was awarded the paragliding equipment.
“In the paramotoring community, the trike HOPE gave me is like a premium trike. I’m super stoked,” he said.
Since he was a child, Rosario dreamed of becoming a pilot and parachuting from a plane, dreams that fueled his decision to join the Army in 1995. Twenty-seven years later he retired from the Army after a career that included several tours of duty in Iraq and Kuwait. But his dreams went unfulfilled during those years.
“I retired and never got to accomplish either. I’ve got no regrets. My calling and service was just different from my original plans, which is often the case in life,” he said.
His dreams became reality shortly after retirement. First was a tandem sky diving jump.
“It was a game-changer,” he said of the skydiving experience. “The serenity was priceless. That led me to look for something that would be more sustainable for this euphoric feeling.”
That search led to the discovery of powered paragliding which fulfilled his dream of becoming a pilot and sparked another goal: sharing that feeling of flight with fellow veterans as a form of therapy.
Giving back is nothing new to Rosario, who battles PTSD. He spent two years volunteering with other veterans providing kayak fishing excursions for wounded veterans and their families. In 2022 he and other volunteers helped a Vietnam veteran whose home had been damaged by a hurricane. After three months of living in a hotel, the veteran was able to return to his home thanks to the work of Rosario and the other volunteers.
More recently he competed in a triathlon while pushing a fellow retired U.S. Army Ranger with limited mobility.
“This was a very emotional event,” said Rosario. “He enjoyed every minute in the triathlon and the honor was mine to fulfill one of his dreams.”
The veteran Rosario teamed with in the triathlon has become a friend and they are presently training for future races and challenges.
He is also working on refreshing his power paragliding piloting skills and taking additional training to soon begin taking other veterans on instructional flights through his own nonprofit Team BLUFOR.
With the mission of getting veterans off the couch and a motto of “Crushing Limitations,” he hopes to reward veterans with instructional flights after meeting their fitness goals.
“HOPE’s generosity and support will allow me to continue to pay it forward and help others suffering from PTSD or any other disabilities find peace and serenity as I have with this sport,” Rosario said. “This wish will be a multiplier. For years to come, I will be able to help countless veterans find peace, healing, and relief of their pains.”
Since 2006, Hope For The Warriors has provided over $2.5 million in grants through its Warrior’s Wish program, assisting with 271 wishes.
“We’re never surprised to see veterans supporting veterans but we’re often excited to see in what manner,” shared Robin Kelleher, co-founder and CEO of Hope For The Warriors. “We already know Andres’ motivation and goals for his own wellbeing as a member of our Team Hope For The Warriors, through the many elite endurance events he’s completed. However, he’s taken it one step further by working to create his own nonprofit Team BLUFOR. We know the power of veteran peer support and are proud to assist Andres with his ultimate goals through HOPE’s Warrior’s Wish program.”
For more information on Hope For The Warriors and Warrior’s Wish program, visit here.
Reach Julia LeDoux at Julia@connectingvets.com.
