A stream of cyclists was greeted with raucous cheering upon entering Legends Plaza at Northwest Stadium on the morning of Tuesday, May 26. Their trek from Arlington, Virginia, through Washington, D.C. to Landover, Maryland, had its fair share of hiccups, with participants battling mechanical issues and wet pavement. Along the way, though, no matter the challenges, members of the group picked each other up and rallied each other on.
"We leave nobody behind. We have a saying, 'We start together. We ride together. We finish together. We are Soldier Ride,'" said Jonas Harmon, Associate Director of the Soldier Ride Program for Wounded Warrior Project. "These guys are used to taking care of each other. They look to their left, they look to their right, and they take care of those people."
One of Wounded Warrior Project's marquee programs, Soldier Ride helps veterans build confidence and strength through shared physical activity and bonds of service. In celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States, this year's edition of the ride was expanded to a never-before-seen scale.
Starting on May 14 and running through May 29, 80 warriors, riding in relay-like, 250-mile segments, will cycle 1,000 miles from Jacksonville, Florida, to New York City. With the riders crossing the nation's capital around Memorial Day, the Washington Commanders were thrilled and honored to host Soldier Ride for a stop at Northwest Stadium.
Having long been a Wounded Warrior Project partner, the NFL was eager to help out once it got word that a special Soldier Ride was in the works.
"Our partnership's contact mentioned, 'Hey we're going to go big this year. We're going to go from Jacksonville, Florida, all the way up to New York City at Ground Zero. Do you think any of the clubs would be interested in hosting?'" said RJ Stafford, the NFL's current Army fellow. "I reached out to all the clubs along the route ... [Washington Salute lead] Chris [Bailey] is incredible. He was like, 'Yes absolutely. Let's do something.'"
From his experience in the Navy to his role with the Commanders' military programming, Bailey is familiar with the incredible work Wounded Warrior Project does. Upon learning that the Soldier 250 route would take the riders through D.C., he "jumped at the opportunity" for the Commanders to get involved.
"We were honored to welcome Wounded Warrior Project and their Soldier Ride 250 participants for a short rest stop at Northwest Stadium," Bailey said. "Seeing the camaraderie and team spirit, listening to their stories of service and sacrifice, and most importantly hearing the laughter and joy from the riders is exactly why the Salute to Service initiative exists."
A little rain and cloudy skies didn't put a damper on the morning. The veterans were reveling in exercise endorphins, enjoying a tour of the field and Commanders locker room and overall appreciating the chance to be together. That camaraderie is exactly why former Army nurse and Paralympian Kelly Elmlinger felt pulled to participate this year. Typically, the Soldier Ride event hasn't been feasible for her due to a busy training schedule.
"You know when something just feel feels right? They had asked me to do this leg and knowing we were going to be in D.C. on Memorial Day, it just felt like everything lined up," Elmling said. "It felt right. And my [triathlon] coach was like, 'Yeah go do it. Go have fun.' It's not necessarily the physical challenge per say coming in here for me but that emotional, social, needing that connection … I need to have this in my life. It doesn't make all the problems go away, but it gives that little boost where you're just like, 'Alright I'm gonna be okay. It's not the end of the world. We don't need to catastrophize.'"
Among the cyclists Elmling, a Segment 3 rider, cheered on as they pulled into the stadium was Army veteran Charles Brass. The Oakland, California native, who served 22 years, is participating in his third Soldier Ride but "none [have been] as intense as this one."
"All I can say is, 'Wow, what a historic event.' I'm so glad to have been chosen for this ride, to commemorate the U.S.' 250th anniversary and then again to celebrate all soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice," Brass said.
The riders from Segment 3 and 4 gained an energy and specific sense of purpose from an unforgettable stop in the DMV area.
"This is a once-in-a-lifetime thing. To tour the Capitol, the Martin Luther King monument, the Lincoln Memorial, all the historic spots, it's just amazing. I'm so privileged and blessed to have done this. My heart is just pounding from excitement. It's just beautiful. It's just wonderful."
Brass and 19 teammates will be the group to cap off Soldier Ride 250, completing an approximately 250-mile segment that will take them into New York City by the week's end.
