Wounded Warriors Soldier Ride gets underway in Houston area this week

NASSAU BAY, Texas – An inspirational journey is getting underway in the Houston area this week.

About 60 wounded warriors will cycle 60 miles over a span of three days, in what's known as the "Soldier Ride."

On Wednesday afternoon, members of the Wounded Warrior Project helped veterans like Chuck Layman pick out which bicycle he will be riding. 

"It's all about changing their lives and motivating them to go out into their community and become physically fit and healthy again," said Nicole DeFazio, with the Wounded Warrior Project.

Layman is an Afghanistan War veteran. He was deployed there between July 2004 and July 2005. Because of the time he served, he suffers from several back and knee issues. 

"It's demoralizing, it really is," Layman said. 

The physical issues have prevented him from being his once-active self.

"I mean I used to run circles around everyone," Layman said.

But this week he will start to become physically active once again, when he rides a modified bicycle during the 60-mile journey. 

The first ride begins on Thursday at 9 a.m. at the Lone Star Flight Museum in Galveston. The next ride is Friday at 8:30 a.m. at NASA's Johnson Space Center. The last ride is Saturday at 9:30 a.m. at Crystal Beach on the Bolivar Peninsula. 

For more information about the Wounded Warrior Project, please visit www.woundedwarriorproject.org.