
Preface: We first met John Wordin last summer, when our contributing editor T.C. Worley was in Utah to cover a bike-industry event. The result of that meeting was an article, “Bicycling as Therapy,” and a call for more from readers on the non-profit Ride 2 Recovery group. This month, as a part of our Epic Award program, we’re recognizing Ride 2 Recovery and the group’s founder, John Wordin, who has built the organization over six years. Congrats to Wordin on a job well done! We hope to see you again spinning out there on the open road.
By STEPHEN REGENOLD
“Life doesn’t stop at the point of your injury.” That powerful quote comes from Delvin McMillian, an Air Force veteran who became so ill during his service that his survival depended on the amputation of his legs and arms.
Today, with the help of a California nonprofit, McMillian rides a bike. He’s not letting bad fortune slow him down. The custom ride, assembled by Ride 2 Recovery over a six-week period this year, is a first of its kind.

McMillian’s bike, called the “Stealth Mad Max,” is a hallmark among hundreds of custom bike builds Ride 2 Recovery has made for wounded vets.
But though the mechanicals of the quad-amputee bike were a particular challenge, the goal was the same: To get a hurt soldier outside and pedaling on two wheels.
“Bikes are a great equalizer,” said John Wordin, who founded Ride 2 Recovery in 2007. There is no other activity, Wordin said, that allows vets with a range of physical and metal injuries to participate together.
Wordin has worked countless hours to get men and women like Delvin McMillian on bikes. He runs a staff to organize events and multi-day rides for wounded vets.

Wordin, his staff, and many dozens of volunteers associated with Ride 2 Recovery, in short, have influenced a lot of lives.



