Warrior Expedition riders arrive in La Push

Warrior Bike Expedition participant Jared Sainato arrived at La Push on Friday and was greeted by several members of the Forks American Legion Post; Joe Wright, Bubba Bolin, Mike Marshall, and Rick Seguin. He also was greeted by several Quileute drummers and Quileute Warrior Tom Jackson.

Sainato is a resident of Bradenton, FL and served in the US Army as an engineer, deployed to Iraq. He served from 2001-2021.

Historically, military units could spend months marching home from war. During this journey, they would process and come to terms with their wartime experiences. But in today’s age of modern transportation military personnel can find themselves home within a few days of serving in a combat zone.

Since 2001, over 3 million veterans have returned home from war but many of them have never transitioned from their experiences. The Department of Veteran Affairs estimates that up to 20 percent of post-9/11 veterans suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Recognizing the therapeutic value of long-distance outdoor expeditions, Warrior Expeditions created the Warrior Hike, Warrior Bike and Warrior Paddle Programs to help veterans transition from their wartime experiences.

Warrior Bike Program

The Warrior Bike Program includes one long-distance biking expedition. Veterans are provided with everything required to complete an expedition at no cost to them. Warrior Expeditions outfits veterans with some of the most highly rated equipment, clothing and supplies available from the outdoor retail industry.

The route follows The Great America Rail Trail and participants ride from Washington D.C. to Washington State, which covers 3,700 miles and runs from May to July.

Several more Warrior Expedition riders were due to arrive at La Push this week.

More information on the program can be found at warriorexpeditions.org/