THE OUTSIDE LINE
Injured Veterans Will Show Their Pedal Power
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Combat soldiers suffer such grievous wounds -- arms and legs severed by searing shrapnel, faces and torsos lined with thick, jagged scars -- that it's amazing their spirit is so often indomitable. Thanks to modern combat medicine, soldiers from Iraq and Afghanistan are surviving injuries that would have killed their brethren in other wars.
But for many veterans, surviving isn't enough. They're overcoming their injuries by moving on with life, by discovering the catharsis only the outdoors can provide.
Walter Reed Army Medical Center has teamed with all sorts of outdoors programs that help wounded soldiers learn -- or relearn -- to fish, golf, even ride horses. Team River Runner, a nonprofit organization that teaches wounded vets to kayak, is entering its second year.
In two weekends, a couple dozen injured veterans are scheduled to make a 110-mile bike ride from Gettysburg, Pa., to Washington. For a $75 entry fee and a minimum fundraising effort of $600, you can join them.
The ride is being organized by the Massachusetts-based nonprofit World T.E.A.M. Sports (the acronym stands for The Exceptional Athlete Matters), which helps the disabled participate in athletics. The money raised will go toward paying for accommodations, transportation and equipment for disabled service members, according to the organization. It also will help outfit the disabled vets with special bikes.
Starting at the hallowed Civil War battlefield on April 29, the ride will wend south to Frederick. Participants will spend the night at the Frederick Armory before decamping the next morning for the second leg to Washington, where they'll be greeted by supporters and a concert.
For more information, visit http:/
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Take a Hike: The Metropolitan Washington Regional Outing Program of the Sierra Club is sponsoring two hikes next Saturday. One is a 10-mile hike showcasing the waterfalls of Shenandoah National Park. The other is a 8.5-mile hike in Catoctin Mountain Park/Cunningham Falls State Park in Thurmont.
For more information, visit http:/
-- Christian Davenport
Have an item to list in the Outside Line? Send it todavenportc@washpost.com.
