Fifty Injured Veterans Cycling Through Birmingham on Journey to Recovery

Wounded Warrior Project Soldier Ride Rolls into Town October 15-17, 2015

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Oct 07, 2015, 08:14 ET

BIRMINGHAM, Ala., Oct. 7, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- It's more than just a bike ride; It's an opportunity for injured service members to come together and share experiences with those who are battling similar struggles as they transition back into civilian life. Fifty of our nation's heroes are headed to Sweet Home Alabama seeking healing as they take on Wounded Warrior Project^® (WWP) Soldier Ride^® presented by USAA^®_.

Participants often find Soldier Ride to be a life-changing experience as they connect with fellow veterans. What may appear as a fun getaway actually serves as an inspirational weekend retreat packed with team-building activities designed to provide service members with an opportunity to lean on one another for support and get active despite the injuries they are facing.

Before the bike ride, each veteran is fit with adaptive equipment to meet their specific needs. Though the 31-mile journey will certainly provide a physical challenge, the focus of the weekend will not be on the physical distance travelled, but the advances made in each veteran's individual journey to recovery.

Aimed at facilitating camaraderie and healing through various physical health and wellness activities, the three-day cycling event is often an introductory program for WWP veterans. For some service members, it could mark their first time leaving their home in months, or even years, as they struggle to adjust to their new normal and learn to cope with their wounds.

Soldier Ride presented by USAA is also being supported across the country by U-HAUL, a founding partner of Soldier Ride, and TREK, both proud supporters of WWP.

To learn how to help a veteran, please visit woundedwarriorproject.org.

About Soldier Ride
Soldier Ride^® began in 2004 when civilian Chris Carney cycled more than 5,000 miles coast-to-coast in support of WWP. In 2005, Carney again cycled coast-to-coast, this time with several combat-wounded veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan. Soldier Ride has been welcomed at the White House since 2008 when President Bush called it "the most inspiring athletic event in the country," and most recently in April 2015 by President Obama where WWP Alumni met privately with him before the event.

Soldier Ride is a physical health & wellness program of WWP, which envisions a generation of wounded veterans well-adjusted in body, receiving the care they need to maximize rehabilitation and live active and healthy lives. Through peer support, adaptive sports, health, nutrition, and recreational activities, WWP helps warriors achieve independence and pursue an excellent quality of life.

More information on Soldier Ride is available at soldierride.org.

About Wounded Warrior Project
The mission of Wounded Warrior Project^® (WWP) is to honor and empower Wounded Warriors. WWP's purpose is to raise awareness and to enlist the public's aid for the needs of injured service members, to help injured servicemen and women aid and assist each other, and to provide unique, direct programs and services to meet their needs. WWP is a national, nonpartisan organization headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida. To get involved and learn more, visit woundedwarriorproject.org.

SOURCE Wounded Warrior Project