A multi-state adaptive cycling journey from May 14 – 29 is marking America’s 250th anniversary while showcasing the resilience of the nation’s veterans after their military service ends.
The Wounded Warrior Project’s Soldier Ride 250 will see veterans travelling from Jacksonville, Florida to New York City on an adaptive cycling journey using traditional bikes, hand cycles and recumbent bikes designed to accommodate their injuries.
“We're fitting them to all different kinds of bikes, from a traditional road bike, but also different adaptive options, so that any type of warrior, any type of ability can ride,” WWP spokesperson Meghan Wagne said. “Three-wheeled bikes, hand cycles, tandem, where they're riding with a pilot/ We're all riding together in a group, in a supportive environment, and these warriors are connecting over the bonds of service.”
Eighty veterans will combine to ride four segments of Soldier Ride 250, with 20 warriors in each segment.
Among this year’s participants is Army veteran and Paralympic triathlete Kelly Elmlinger, who lost her leg to cancer and went on to compete for Team USA. She enlisted in the Army as a medic on Veterans Day 1998 and had a 20-year career that took her around the world, including three back-to-back deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq.
“I initially found out about Wounded Warrior Project when I was an active duty nurse and caring for patients,” Elminger said. “I would see Wounded Warrior Project representatives go into patients' rooms.”
Patients would share stories about the services WWP offered them with Elmlinger. Around the same time that she sought mental health support to deal with PTSD from her time caring for injured service members overseas, Elmlinger was diagnosed with a rare cancer – synovial sarcoma. After two years of aggressive medical treatment and numerous surgeries, her left leg was amputated.
“When I found myself being a patient myself, I had a Wounded Warrior Project representative come into my room, and that's really when I started utilizing their services,” she said.
Elmlinger said over the years, WWP earned her trust.
“When I've reached out to say, I need some help, or I'm struggling here, there was immediate action, and I saw results,” she said.
Elmlinger has a message for her fellow veterans who might find it difficult to trust people or organizations.
“We need to let our guard down a little bit, because there are truly and genuinely, you know, individuals and organizations that do have our best interest at heart,” she said.
Elmlinger also became involved with adaptive sports and her athletic career flourished. She has won multiple medals at the World Championships, competed in multiple Paralympic Games and is a member of Team USA Triathlon.
“People will see you as you see yourself, and I see myself with ability,” she said. “This ride showcases ability, and ability doesn't necessarily have to look what mainstream America sees as ability. This is a different way to show what ability looks like in veterans.”
Wagner noted that the military is a big part of America’s history.
“We are honoring all who have served and have sacrificed, and for these warriors specifically that are participating, this is a challenge,” Wagner said. “It could be a physical challenge, a mental, emotional challenge to show up, to train for something. Once they are together, there's this really incredible connection over service, this camaraderie that's almost instantaneous, is where, they're around people that understand what they've been through.”
The veterans will travel from WWP headquarters in Florida to Firehouse 10 next to the 9/11 Memorial in New York City. The route will feature historic landmarks reflecting 250 years of the nation’s history, including a stop at Arlington National Cemetery on Memorial Day. The event is presented by NFL Salute to Service and will also include engagements with NFL teams throughout the 1,000-mile journey. WWP is also launching Soldier Ride 250 in partnership with America250, the nonpartisan organization charged by Congress to lead the commemoration of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Reach Julia LeDoux at Julia@connectingvets.com.
