Wounded Warrior Keeps Marine’s Memory Alive During Nationwide Trek
GLENSIDE, Pa. — How far would you go for a stranger? Nick Novotny biked nearly 4,000 miles for one.
When he finished, they weren’t strangers anymore — they were family.
The Cause
Nick met James Currie when they were stationed at Marine Corps Base Hawaii in Kaneohe Bay. The two became friends, but in May 2020, after battling substance abuse, James died of an accidental drug overdose.
Several months later, Nick was honorably discharged from the Corps and left with memories of a friend who was too afraid to ask for help.
Nick, however, was not afraid to reach out. He contacted James’ mother Kelly with a special request to honor her son.
“I had never even met him before,” Kelly remembered. “I was overwhelmed that he’d think so much of my son to want to do something like that for him.”
That something was a solo, cross-country bike trek to honor James’ life and to raise support for the Currie family and the life-changing mental health programs Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) provides.
It was uncharted territory for Nick.
“When I started this thing, I had no biking experience,” he recalled. “I started in Oregon, and I looked at Google maps and looked at how far away I was from everything. It didn’t even feel real.”
What was real were the people along the way, including a family in Saratoga, Wyoming, who drove Nick 100 miles round trip to retrieve his wallet after he left it at a convenience store.
“These kinds of people, these acts of kindness, these acts of service … these were like little pieces of James along the way,” Nick said. “Even on days when I was a little tired or miserable or didn’t want to pedal, I got these great reminders from good people.”
Kindness returned to kindness shown.
“James would always say if people could just be kind, the world would be such a different place,” Kelly said. “Nick exemplified kindness through this whole trip.”
The Culmination
After more than two months on the road, Nick was welcomed by more than 100 people in James’ hometown of Glenside, Pennsylvania. It marked the end of the ride and a celebration of James’ life. Amid the applause and cheers, Nick hopped off his bike and immediately hugged a person who was no longer a stranger — James’ mother Kelly.
Mary Tallouzi, a WWP teammate, saw that hug and knew it well — she received a similar one once. Shortly after her son Daniel passed away in 2009, a soldier who served with Daniel embraced her.
“It’s the greatest gift any warrior can give to a mom,” Mary said.
The Call to Action
What’s left to give, then, after a long journey and a heartfelt embrace? A message: that it’s OK to reach out to resources like those available at WWP.
“I’ve never walked down this road before and I wouldn’t wish this on anyone,” Kelly said. “So, if us doing something to help mental health awareness, to help make it more accessible and OK to not be OK, then I will keep talking so that my son’s death wasn’t in vain."
Nick hopes his efforts encourages other veterans who are struggling to speak up and ask for help.
“If there’s any one thing that was the goal of this entire ride, it was to create a conversation for people; create the conversation for Wounded Warrior Project,” Nick said.
If you know a veteran who is struggling, reach out to the WWP Resource Center at 888.997.2586.
If you’d like to support Nick’s ride, please visit his page.
Contact: Chris Obarski — Public Relations, cobarski@woundedwarriorproject.org, 904.570.0823
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.