It’s a bicycle trip that would be difficult for most people, only these men and women were pedaling away as they rehab from disabling injuries.
“Go down Summit to Lexington, to Energy Park, over to Raymond, down Como, through the University of Minnesota campus…” Rich Stracha explained to the bikers, all outfitted in bright blue shirts and riding sleek black machines.
Nobody flinched, they just saddled up and went for it.
The 35 bikers and support staff are using the 2025 Wounded Warrior Project Soldier Ride to keep their recovery moving forward and get together with others who are facing similar challenges.
Drew Carpenter of Minneapolis was felled by a viral infection that nearly killed him and left him paralyzed from head to toe for six months.
The former Minnesota National Guard soldier is now walking with a cane and biking, his legs and feet sheathed in braces.
“This is a way to kind of stretch myself, and realize what my new limits are,” he said before wedging himself into a recumbent bike.
“The more I do in something like this that stretches me, the more I can do daily functions,” he said.
Those functions include just getting out of bed.
Making his first ride was Garrett Seifert of Pelican Rapids, who was hit by a car in Virginia in 2022.
“I used to bike a lot, especially when I was in summer school… my parents made me ride a bike into school.
On Friday he and his father were in a recumbent tandem trike. Son in the back, dad in the front.
“I’m going to have to peddle my dad the whole way, push him the whole way, I’m sure,” he said.
“It’s fun,” said dad. “We’ve been doing these together, because he needs help just to get through the day.”
Each one of the participants, most of whom were from outside Minnesota, were given state-of-the-art bikes fitted for their injuries.
"It's a lot more important to do it with other warriors," said Seifert. "It's nice camaraderie, everyone seems to have a similar background."