Ride 2 Recovery's Project HERO: using cycling as part of rehabilitation

Ride 2 Recovery was founded in 2008 by a former world-class cycling competitor and coach to enhance the physical and psychological recovery of our nation's wounded, ill and injured service members and veterans through the sport of cycling. Ride 2 Recovery's most notable endeavor is Project HERO (Healing Exercise Rehabilitation Opportunity) which uses staff members and volunteers to promote cycling as an integral part of rehabilitation at select military facilities to enhance physical, psychological, spiritual and social recovery. Project HERO is directed by a retired military physical therapist that spent the last decade caring for service men and women wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan. This article describes all facets of the Project HERO initiative and highlights the profound impact it has had in the lives of US military members and veterans.