South Florida Honors Injured Veterans at Soldier Ride
South Florida helped injured veterans bring in 2022 with positive energy and support. Miami and the Florida Keys welcomed more than 40 injured veterans during the annual Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) Soldier Ride® in January. Excitement filled the air as local communities gathered to honor the nation’s wounded warriors in attendance after nearly two years of absence due to COVID-19.
“It’s just great to be back out and seeing the smiles, the engagement, the connection, and the camaraderie that these warriors have,” said Jonas Harmon, regional director for WWP Soldier Ride. “Warriors cycled around 50 miles over three days, all while the community cheered them on with American flags, handmade banners, and words of encouragement.”
Soldier Ride uses adaptive cycling to enhance warriors’ fitness routines and aid their physical and mental recoveries and this event came at a very important time. WWP conducted a deep-dive study into its 2020 Annual Warrior Survey. The study, Invisible Wounds and Covid-19: Heightened Risk for Wounded Warriors, found a significant decrease in COVID-19-related quality of life among its warrior population. It specifically identified WWP warriors experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, loneliness, or suicidal ideation as those more likely to suffer hardship during the pandemic.
Eric Trinidad, a U.S. Army wounded warrior, experienced great hardship during the pandemic after enduring a car accident that left him in the intensive care unit.
“I was struck from behind,” said Eric. “When I was injured, my wife was not allowed to see me while I was in ICU. Then, I was housebound because of COVID and the recent injuries. I relied on my wife for the smallest of things. It was difficult. I had to stop working. I couldn’t do things on my own – simple everyday activities that we take for granted like getting groceries. I had to depend on deliveries. Those things became my lifeline during COVID.”
In a time where COVID continues to impact wounded warriors, getting injured veterans connected safely in person or through virtual programs is critical to their psychological well-being and resilience. WWP offers wounded warriors a hybrid model of virtual and in-person program offerings to meet them at their comfort level. Soldier Ride is an educational bicycling program and is one of many WWP programs and services that helps veterans reconnect with each other and their local communities.
“When I got fitted for the bike and did my test ride on the first day of this event, I got a little emotional because I felt like I could finally do something,” Eric shared. “I felt useful. I am really grateful for Soldier Ride because it was really like a Godsend to me. Fast forward to the end of the event, seeing the support of the community and Wounded Warrior Project – how accommodating they are to the point where I don’t feel like I’m blind – it makes me feel like I don’t have any limitations. The last time I had a welcome like this was when I was coming back from Iraq. It feels good.”
Soldier Ride® began in 2004 when civilian Chris Carney cycled more than 5,000 miles coast-to-coast to support WWP and help raise awareness for injured veterans. The following year, several combat warriors who returned from Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) with visible and invisible injuries joined Carney for another cross-country ride. The trek across the nation proved to be a milestone on the journey to recovery as wounded warriors redefined their personal strengths and limitations. Despite facing many obstacles, the warriors refused to give up. They used the experience as a catalyst to show the public and themselves that with support and motivation, anything was possible.
Today, Soldier Ride continues to inspire warriors to heal their bodies and minds. Soldier Ride has become a gathering that connects American heroes to each other and their communities and provides the American public an opportunity to honor that service and sacrifice. Read more about Soldier Ride.
Contact: — Vesta M. Anderson, Public Relations, vanderson@woundedwarriorproject.org, 904.570.0771
About Wounded Warrior Project
Since 2003, Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) has been meeting the growing needs of warriors, their families, and caregivers — helping them achieve their highest ambition. Learn more.