Los Angeles CA— Oceanside veteran and Balboa Project HERO leader, Jamie Rihn arrived at the VA West Los Angeles Medical Center Saturday afternoon along with 200 other injured veterans as they completed the 7-day, 516 mile UnitedHealthcare Ride 2 Recovery California Challenge.

California Challenge cyclists rode south from the VA Palo Alto Health Care System to Santa Cruz, then traveled the iconic Pacific Coast Highway along the state’s scenic coastline with overnight stops in Carmel, San Simeon, Pismo Beach, Solvang and Ventura. The ride concluded Saturday, Oct. 24, at the VA West Los Angeles Medical Center. That afternoon, 95-year-old Tuskegee airman Lt. Col. Robert Friend joined the cyclists for the last several miles of the ride and across the finish line at the VA.
Ride 2 Recovery (R2R) provides physical and psychological rehabilitation programs for injured veterans, featuring cycling as its core activity. For the sixth year, UnitedHealthcare provided full financial backing for each veteran participating in the California Challenge, allowing the veteran cyclists the ability to focus 100 percent on their healing and rehabilitation process. Photo credit: Jamie Rector