thedrifter
04-26-09, 06:34 AM
Injured veterans bike through Frederick
Originally published April 26, 2009
By Meg Tully
News-Post Staff
Josiah White was serving as a Marines Corps infantryman when he was hit by shrapnel from a suicide bomber in a small Iraqi town.
The shrapnel hit his legs and his left arm, and he lost hearing in his right ear.
Despite his injuries, he later went on to complete triathlons and long-distance bike rides.
White, 24, was one of hundreds of veterans who rode through Frederick on Saturday as part of the 2009 Face of America Bike Ride, which began in Bethesda.
He covered 60 miles Saturday and plans on riding 50 more up to Gettysburg, Pa., today with the other 450 riders.
"You would never expect people like us to do bike rides like this," White said. "We're down, but we're not out, that's what we say."
White lives in San Diego and is attending San Diego Mesa College. He came to Maryland as part of Team Semper Fi, which is made up of severely injured veteran athletes across the country and associated with the Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund.
The team had 18 members participating in the ride, organized by World TEAM Sports, a national organization that promotes inclusive sports opportunities.
Jeff Messner, president of World TEAM Sports, said that participants came from all over the country for the annual ride. Many of them are coming from Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington.
He said that Frederick 's police and charitable organizations were a big help on the day of the ride.
"The community has really gotten behind us," Messner said.
Riding can help with recovery.
Aaron Seibert, a Navy corpsman who provides medical services, was wounded in a mortar attack by Iraqi insurgents in 2006.
He described the more than 100 pieces of shrapnel that hit him, and said he was given the last rites. His ankle was hit the worst.
He can't run anymore, but riding a bike helps improve his range of motion. It also allows him to get out and see the country he loves.
He biked the entire 60 miles Saturday.
"When it comes down to it, I don't want to be a bitter old guy drinking a beer someday and not really appreciating what life I got to experience," Seibert said.
Katherine Ragazzino, a staff sergeant in the Marines, was recovering at Balboa Naval Hospital when she heard about a sports camp sponsored by Team Semper Fi.
She had a traumatic brain injury from a Humvee accident and suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder.
She hadn't been involved in athletics, and especially hadn't ridden a bike, because of balance problems.
Through the camp and subsequent activities with Team Semper Fi, she learned to overcome those obstacles.
"I'm still not 100 percent. I don't know if I'll ever be 100 percent," Ragazzino said. "But the team allowed me to know that through every trial I have, I can make it through."
Ellie
Originally published April 26, 2009
By Meg Tully
News-Post Staff
Josiah White was serving as a Marines Corps infantryman when he was hit by shrapnel from a suicide bomber in a small Iraqi town.
The shrapnel hit his legs and his left arm, and he lost hearing in his right ear.
Despite his injuries, he later went on to complete triathlons and long-distance bike rides.
White, 24, was one of hundreds of veterans who rode through Frederick on Saturday as part of the 2009 Face of America Bike Ride, which began in Bethesda.
He covered 60 miles Saturday and plans on riding 50 more up to Gettysburg, Pa., today with the other 450 riders.
"You would never expect people like us to do bike rides like this," White said. "We're down, but we're not out, that's what we say."
White lives in San Diego and is attending San Diego Mesa College. He came to Maryland as part of Team Semper Fi, which is made up of severely injured veteran athletes across the country and associated with the Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund.
The team had 18 members participating in the ride, organized by World TEAM Sports, a national organization that promotes inclusive sports opportunities.
Jeff Messner, president of World TEAM Sports, said that participants came from all over the country for the annual ride. Many of them are coming from Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington.
He said that Frederick 's police and charitable organizations were a big help on the day of the ride.
"The community has really gotten behind us," Messner said.
Riding can help with recovery.
Aaron Seibert, a Navy corpsman who provides medical services, was wounded in a mortar attack by Iraqi insurgents in 2006.
He described the more than 100 pieces of shrapnel that hit him, and said he was given the last rites. His ankle was hit the worst.
He can't run anymore, but riding a bike helps improve his range of motion. It also allows him to get out and see the country he loves.
He biked the entire 60 miles Saturday.
"When it comes down to it, I don't want to be a bitter old guy drinking a beer someday and not really appreciating what life I got to experience," Seibert said.
Katherine Ragazzino, a staff sergeant in the Marines, was recovering at Balboa Naval Hospital when she heard about a sports camp sponsored by Team Semper Fi.
She had a traumatic brain injury from a Humvee accident and suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder.
She hadn't been involved in athletics, and especially hadn't ridden a bike, because of balance problems.
Through the camp and subsequent activities with Team Semper Fi, she learned to overcome those obstacles.
"I'm still not 100 percent. I don't know if I'll ever be 100 percent," Ragazzino said. "But the team allowed me to know that through every trial I have, I can make it through."
Ellie