| Soldier Ride By Declan O' Kelly
It’s a long way from California to New York, especially on a bicycle,
but what makes this 4200 mile ride even more remarkable is that it was undertaken
by two soldiers both of whom lost limbs in Iraq.
Ryan Kelly, 24, and Heath Calhoun, 26, are part of a group called Soldier
Ride, which raises money for wounded veterans. They were joined on the ride
by the group’s co-founder, Chris Carney, 35, a bartender from Long Island,
who was inspired to found Soldier Ride after visiting the Walter Reed Army
Medical Centre in Washington, where returning wounded soldiers undergo rehabilitation.
Carney, who completed the cycle on his own last year, said, “it was tougher
because I was alone. This year it was good to have someone to talk to. The
motivation the soldiers have is amazing. Heath drove himself across the
Rockies with his arms. He went from trailing up to having no problems keeping
up.”
The three started out in Marina Del Ray “Mother’s Beach” in Los Angeles
on May 31 and finished in Montauk, New York on July 18. Calhoun, who had
both his legs amputated after a rocket-propelled grenade hit a truck in
which he was travelling, powered across the country in a three-wheeled hand
cycle using his arms to pedal, while Kelly, who had his lower leg blown
off in an ambush near Baghdad, wore a prosthetic leg to complete the trip.
So far the group has raised over $500,000 for Wounded Warrior Project.
They also campaigned tirelessly to Congress for assistance for wounded soldiers
and their families. Their efforts paid off recently with the passing of
the Wounded Soldier Bill – a $2,500 to $100,000 disability insurance policy
for soldiers and other service members on active duty.
The funds raised by the second Soldier Ride have helped the Wounded Warrior
Project with their backpack program, an initiative to give all returning
wounded soldiers comfort items and toiletries and help finance family visits.
As Calhoun told Fox News recently, the importance of this backpack cannot
be underestimated, “I know myself when I came back to the States I was wearing
a towel, so to be able to get a nice, clean t-shirt and a pair of shorts
was something special.”
For more information on the Soldier Ride and the Wounded Warrior Project
visit www.soldierride.com.
Note: As we go to press we received the news that The Walter Reed Medical
Centre will close as part of the Army’s restructuring of its bases.
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