A group of injured veterans and supporters are currently cycling from Atlanta to New Orleans on a six-day, 470-mile bike ride in an effort to raise money and awareness for soldiers with both physical and mental disabilities. The Montgomery Advertiser reported that the funds raised by the ride will go toward rehabilitation programs, particularly those that use cycling as a form of therapy.
Coming together for the health of veterans
WTVM explained that for those participating, the ride is the experience of a lifetime. In addition to injured vets riding for their peers, the group of 200 cyclists is comprised of many active-duty soldiers. Many of them discovered cycling as a way to exercise their physical and mental injuries and want to help others do the same.
"When I first found out about ride to recovery, I was still in the depressed mood of me being hurt, so I was trying to figure out what I can do to possibly get out on my own and what better way than ride 600, 400, 300 miles with a bunch of other wounded veterans," Eric Murray, a veteran with a foot injury, told WTVM.
Vets tout cycling as an alternative therapy
The Montgomery Advertiser explained that to help the participants prepare for the challenge, Ride 2 Recovery, sponsored by United Healthcare, assisted them by offering indoor spinning classes and long outdoor rides. It was during these training sessions that many of the veterans were able to view cycling as a form of mental and physical rehabilitation.
For veteran Tim Brown, getting on a bike was more about clearing his head than building muscle. He is one of the former servicemembers riding for psychological health, and he points to cycling as a healthy way for him to manage his anger and depression. Many of the other soldiers participating are amputees, and one vet even praises cycling as a therapeutic way for her to deal with an injury that left her blind.
Many of the disabled veterans cite the healthy exercise as an alternative to medicine or invasive treatments and want to spread the word about staying active.
"I wish people knew how good cycling was. This is the best way to medicate yourself. If I wasn't doing this, I would probably be taking three or four pills, honestly," veteran Carmen Vega told the Montgomery Advertiser.