Day 4 of the UnitedHealthcare Texas Challenge lived up to its advance billing and then some! It was truly a day to remember as our 75-mile ride began with our annual visit to III Corps headquarters at Fort Hood. We were honored by remarks from Major General J.T. Thomson. As we left the base, we the celebration continued as thousands of soldiers, families and schoolchildren lined the roads, waving flags and signs and hailing us as heroes. It was a truly memorable and literally unforgettable experience.
Day 4 of the UnitedHealthcare Texas Challenge lived up to its advance billing and then some! It was truly a day to remember as our 75-mile ride began with our annual visit to III Corps headquarters at Fort Hood. We were honored by remarks from Major General J.T. Thomson. As we left the base, we the celebration continued as thousands of soldiers, families and schoolchildren lined the roads, waving flags and signs and hailing us as heroes. It was a truly memorable and literally unforgettable experience.
On each Challenge, we have VA mental health clinicians integrated into the ride as part of our partnership. Victoria Siffert is on her second Texas Challenge. Victoria works as a Mental Health professional at the VA in Houston and is riding her second Texas Challenge. A strong cyclist, Victoria pedals with the riders of Group 2.
“It is so empowering to see riders like the vision-impaired riders on tandems,” she said. “I’ve had a great week during this Challenge.”
A native of Louisiana, Victoria has been riding bikes for nearly a decade and has been with the Houston VA for six years.
She likes Project Hero’s partnership with the VA because it gives veterans a chance to interact with VA clinicians in a unique way. “Project Hero is an organization that brings veterans and first responders together to cycle and be a family as a means to recovery,” she said. “It has inspired me because it is also an opportunity to see VA clinicians in a new light, and get connected to the VA in new ways.”
Victoria also rode the Houston Honor Ride last November and among her Project Hero goals is to ride the next Gulf Coast Challenge.
“I like Project Hero because it is a way to come together in the process of healing as a community with one another, to activate physically and mentally and clear your mind with others who understand and have shared experiences,” she said. “The program, especially HEROTrak, gives veterans a skill set outside of the clinic. The HEROTrak is an important tool for collecting data for real time interventions.”
Victoria’s message for our healing heroes resonates with everyone at Project Hero: “Don’t’ give up! Help is available, ask for it because you’re not alone,” she said.
Our journey through Texas continues tomorrow with a 67-mile trek from Waco to Cleburne.
Media coverage includes:
http://www.kwtx.com/content/news/Veterans-riding-bicycles-arrive-in-Killeen--480198703.html
http://kdhnews.com/military/no-hero-left-behind-ride-recovery-made-pit-stop-at/article_768c8e86-4423-11e8-b667-8b49d7132dec.html
http://www.kcentv.com/gallery/news/wounded-warrior-project-riders/500-543174456
http://www.cleburnetimesreview.com/news/ride-recovery-returns-to-johnson-county/article_6f69a9e6-4283-11e8-9b8f-8f35c06662eb.html
http://www.rvisd.net/site/Default.aspx?PageID=113&PageType=17&DomainID=32&ModuleInstanceID=393&EventDateID=5209
http://www.thevillagesdailysun.com/news/in_todays_daily_sun/veteran-biking-from-key-west-to-canada-to-benefit-project/article_2c0b09b4-4388-11e8-8756-cf3dcc4f1783.html
http://hillsbororeporter.com/veterans-to-make-local-stops-friday-p22479-54.htm
