A trip to the beach usually sounds like… well, a day at the beach. For 139 injured U.S. veterans and their supporters it will likely mean much more. These American heroes are heading to France, where they’ll get to bicycle in historic World War II sites as part of the first ever Ride 2 Recovery Normandy Challenge, presented by UnitedHealthcare.
“Our goal at Ride 2 Recovery is to provide our injured veterans with the opportunity to spend a week on a cycle, challenging themselves both physically and mentally,” said John Wordin, president of Ride 2 Recovery. “Having Air Compassion for Veterans and American Airlines provide transportation for them removes one more barrier as we are introduced to the famous battle and landing sites of our World War II heroes with local historians.”
The riders arrive at Paris Charles de Gaulle airport this week and are traveling to Caen, where their tour will begin. During the six-day, 240-mile ride, participants will cycle Normandy for a first-hand history lesson that will highlight the landing sites, battlefields and museums of D-Day. The group will be joined by five injured veterans from the French armed forces. The Ride 2 Recovery Normandy Challenge cyclists, including veterans using hand cycles, recumbents, tandems and traditional road bikes, will have overnight stops in Carentan, Cherbourg, St. Lo, Lisieux and Paris. In Lisieux, the Ride 2 Recovery cyclists will be at the finish line of the Tour de France Stage 6.
With this marking the beginning of our Fourth of July Holiday weekend we salute all our men and women in uniform and wish them a fantastic ride.
Follow the Ride 2 Recovery Normandy Challenge and look for daily updates at the Ride 2 Recovery Facebook page.