Menlo Park Veteran to Cycle in UnitedHealthcare Ride 2 Recovery California Challenge

Leila Raffiee-Shirazi , a Navy veteran from Menlo Park, will join more than 200 injured veterans and their supporters on Sunday, Oct. 18, on the UnitedHealthcare Ride 2 Recovery California Challenge, a seven-day, 516-mile bicycle ride along the scenic California coast from the San Francisco Bay Area to Los Angeles.

Ride 2 Recovery (R2R) provides physical and psychological rehabilitation programs for injured veterans, featuring cycling as its core activity. This is the sixth year UnitedHealthcare is serving as R2R’s title sponsor, providing financial, in-kind and volunteer support to help America’s injured veterans. For more information, visit www.ride2recovery.com.

Raffiee-Shirazi retired in 2010 with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. She sought treatment at Menlo Park VA’s PTSD program and it was there, that a counselor introduced her to Ride 2 Recovery in 2014.

“From the moment I jumped on the bike, I was simply happy. I cycled three times a week while in the PTSD program, and looked forward to our rides. Cycling became part of my treatment plan. Many of us return stateside after serving, and are different individuals due to our experiences. Ride 2 Recovery has allowed me to regain that sense of camaraderie that I missed. It provided a support system of peers, who understood what I was going through, and encouraged one another. I am grateful to Ride 2 Recovery for giving me my life back, and am excited to participate in my second UnitedHealthcare California Challenge.”