Community Corner
Injured Veterans to Cycle 465 Miles from San Francisco Bay Area to Los Angeles for 2014 UnitedHealthcare Ride 2 Recovery California Challenge
Woodland Hills Veteran to Cycle in UnitedHealthcare Ride 2 Recovery California Challenge
Woodland Hills retired Army veteran Juan Carlos Hernandez, is one of more than 200 injured veterans and their supporters who will embark on this year’s UnitedHealthcare Ride 2 Recovery California Challenge, a 465-mile bicycle ride from VA Palo Alto Healthcare system to VA West Los Angeles Medical Center. Ride 2 Recovery provides physical and psychological rehabilitation programs for inured veterans, featuring cycling as its core activity.
In 2006, Hernandez joined the Army and was deployed to Afghanistan in December 2008. He was injured October of 2009 while conducting nighttime aerial missions in Afghanistan. His aircraft was hit with an RPG (rocket-propelled grenade) with shrapnel penetrating his body. Hernandez‘s right leg was injured so badly that it required a below-the-knee amputation onsite of the accident.
Hernandez was released from his recovery and rehabilitation in 2009, and was walking with his new prosthesis a few days before Christmas. By mid-February, he was pedaling with his prosthetic leg on a upright bicycle. During rehabilitation, he heard about Ride 2 Recovery, and joined his first ride within six months of his injury.
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“When I ride my bike, I feel relaxed. Free. It’s as if nothing else in the world matters,” comments Hernandez. “It helps keep my mind clear and focused. Riding my bicycle has dramatically helped me with my walking and my quick recovery; it has not only helped me physically, but also mentally.”
Hernandez is pictured with 94-year-old Tuskegee Airman, Lt. Col. Robert Friend, who will join the cyclists for the last portion of the ride concluding on Oct. 11 at the VA West Los Angeles.
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Most riders, from all four branches of the military, come from a Warrior Transition Unit to aid in their rehabilitation. Road bikes, hand cycles and recumbents have all been modified to fit the needs of riders and their injuries. The 2014 UnitedHealthcare Ride 2 Recovery California Challenge begins on Sunday, Oct. 5 at the VA Palo Alto Healthcare System. Visit www.ride2recovery.com for a full schedule.