Taking on the Challenges

Greetings Friends and Family! Welcome to my blog about training, raising money, and supporting the 2011 Ride For Semper Fi.

If you have made it to this page, you are probably wondering what on Earth possessed me to take on this challenge. I mean, not everyone just wakes up one day and says, "Hmmmm, I think I will ride 430 miles this weekend!" So why would I do it?

I have been a avid cyclist for most of my adult life. I got my first mountain bike as a Sophomore in college and I entered my first race that same year. I have loved it ever since! I love being out in the woods, and being on the bike seemed like the perfect way to do it. I get to hang out outside and it keeps me in shape too. As a U.S. Marine, staying in shape is pretty much a way of life. So cycling has stayed a major part of my training regimen.

Then in September of 2001, the world changed. Out great nation went to war and I went along with it. As a helicopter pilot I deployed to Iraq twice, serving as a Casualty Evacuation Pilot. Everyday I would fly wounded servicemen and women from the battlefield to various aid stations. When I returned home, I began noticing how difficult it is for these brave young people to heal, rehabilitate and transition back to their new "normal" lives.

Often times these folks require extended stays at treatment centers or new equipment for their homes. Military medicine is the finest in the world, but it cannot cover all of these things. This often creates a financial burden on the wounded warrior and their family.

This is where The Semper Fi fund comes in. The Semper Fi Fund is a non-profit, tax exempt charity organization that raises money for wounded warriors from all branches of the military. More information about them can be found at their website. The Fund also helps these warriors with specialized equipment so they can compete in all types of athletic events, even the Para-Olympics! A few years ago, the Fund started Team Semper Fi. Wounded warriors and active duty Marines can join the team and compete as amateurs in whatever events they chose; along the way they raise money for the Fund by asking supporters to donate.

The Ride for Semper Fi is one of these events that is organized to raise money and support the Fund. I heard about it from a fellow pilot who was combat wounded in Afghanistan and the fund helped him out. He will be riding with us this year as well. The Ride is ~430 miles from Scottsdale, AZ to San Diego, CA. I know it will be long and hard, and the training will be a challenge as well. But for me, the ride is a chance to do something that I love while at the same time giving back to those brave warriors who sacrificed so much.

Stay tuned to this blog for regular updates on my training and the Ride itself!

John
For information on how to make donations, please click here. And thank you!