Ride 2 Recovery to Bring 'Profound' Experience to N. Hampton

[Story originally posted at 5:30 a.m., Friday, July 12, 2013]

When Navy Corpsman Scott Wells returned home from a tour in Iraq, he found the life he returned to was far from the way it was before he deployed.

Wells was often struck by panic attacks, sometimes so startling they would wake him in the middle of the night because he was convinced there was danger or that something was wrong in or around his home. Other times, Wells was frozen by a fear that a deceased animal on the side of the road would explode as his car passed it, just like the horrific improvised explosive devices he saw while serving as a Navy-Marine Corps joint task force paramedic.

"I thought I was just crazy and having issues," said Wells, an Epping resident who served in Iraq from January 2005 to February 2006. "It’s hard to explain just how different things were. My children, they’re afraid of me sometimes." 

Therapy and medication helped control those issues and associated anger problems, although it wasn't until years later that Wells, now 46, found his first true relief after hesitantly participating in the 9/11 10th anniversary Memorial Ride.

It was there that Wells found camaraderie like the one he experienced in the service. This time, though, there was no stigma attached to reporting post-traumatic stress and other problems, and he found that he wasn't — and shouldn't — be alone through his ordeal.  

"By the end of [the ride], I had really come to realize, 'I'm pretty normal, and I'm dealing with some weird stuff,'" Wells said with a laugh. "Out there riding with these guys, it's so therapeutic. I could talk about what I was going through and some of my issues, and having them understand it made a huge change in my life."

Wells will lead the charge later this month as dozens of New Hampshire residents, including many veterans, set out in the Ride 2 Recovery Honor Ride, a non-competitive bicycle ride that starts and ends in North Hampton to raise money and awareness for Project HERO in Manchester as well as the Ride 2 Recovery program.

The ride, which is Saturday, July 27, is also designed as a way to show anyone — wounded veteran or not — that riding has beneficial psychological effects that can help locals manage a variety of stresses and issues, according to Wells.

"It’s amazing how much riding can help improve somebody's life," said Wells, who works as a paramedic in southern New Hampshire for Trinity EMS. "It's not just a physical benefit. There are actual emotional benefits that come from endorphins being released while you ride and talk. It's amazing how much easier it is to talk with somebody when you don’t have to look somebody in the eye... They’ll share stuff with people on the road that they’d never share [elsewhere]."

The non-competitive 20-mile and 50-mile routes both start and end at Gus' Bike Shop. Owner Jeff Latimer got involved and helped organize the July 27 ride after bicyclists from his store had a profound response while participating in a Ride 2 Recovery event.

"Last fall, several riders from Gus' Bike Shop joined veterans riding in a Ride 2 Recovery event, and we were deeply moved by these veterans’ stories and inspired by the experience of riding with these healing heroes on their custom Raleigh bicycles," said Latimer in a statement. "With the vibrant and caring cycling community we have here, plus the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard and Pease [Air National Guard Base] located here on the Seacoast, it seemed a natural to bring an Honor Ride to the area."

The 50-mile loop will leave around 8 a.m. on July 27 and travel up to Lee, where riders will join with students from St. Paul’s School in Concord, who return to New Hampshire as part the final leg of their 3,400-mile, cross-country ride to raise money and awareness for Ride 2 Recovery.

The route then travels down to Exeter, and after a brief stop the riders will cross into Hampton along Exeter Road (Route 27) and travel over to North Beach, where the SPS cyclists will dip their tires into the ocean, completing their Pacific-to-Atlantic journey, according to Wells. The 50-mile route then travels up the coast and back to Gus' in North Hampton.

The 20-mile group will leave after the longer run, and will travel into Exeter and take a brief stop before returning to Gus' Bike Shop, according to Wells.

Each ride is open to any bicyclists wishing to participate. The event is free for all injured veterans, and costs $75 per rider and $125 for a family of two adults and any number of children. Teams of five or more are $60 per rider.

Wells said riders don't have to raise sponsorship or donation dollars to participate, and participants will receive a T-shirt, drinks and snacks, mechanical or medical support if needed, and swag. All riders who complete a run will also receive a medal.

More details about the routes, times for registration and packet pickup, departure times, and other information about the event can be fond here. Pre-registration is recommended, and can be done online here.

Donations to the Ride 2 Recovery program can be made here, while donations to the SPS cyclists can be made here.




About Ride to Recovery:

Ride 2 Recovery, produced by the Fitness Challenge Foundation, supports physical and psychological rehabilitation programs for injured veterans, featuring cycling as the core activity. From indoor spinning at military installations to multiday, long-distance rides, Ride 2 Recovery helps injured veterans heal through the challenge of cycling a variety of distances using hand cycles, recumbent cycles, tandems and traditional road bikes. Ride 2 Recovery programs include Challenge Rides (multi-day long distance events), Honor Rides (one-day events across the country that bring communities together to raise awareness and funds for Ride 2 Recovery), and Project HERO (personalized and progressive cycling programs at military and VA locations.) Funds also support the equipment donated to each healing hero participating in the events, including bikes that require modification due to injuries.