BLOOMFIELD, Conn. — A team of ten wounded veterans who call themselves the “Freedom Team” made their way through Connecticut, part of a 500-mile journey by handcycle that began in Boston and will end in Washington, DC next week.
The Freedom Team is riding for Achilles International which has chapters across the world. The main mission of Achilles International is to transform the lives of people with disabilities through athletics and social connection.
With a convoy of police escorts, the Freedom Team stopped in Bloomfield and enjoyed a few hours at Cigna headquarters, just one of the companies that support the Achilles International cause.
“Our mission is to promote inclusion – to get anyone with different abilities active and to help them set goals and achieve them,” said Erin Spaulding, the president of Achilles International’s Connecticut Chapter.
“The best part for me is just being able to spend time with people that you know and that you care about. This Freedom Team, we have a special bond because we are all veterans,” said Freedom Team captain Mike Sprouse, a disabled Marine Corps veteran.
Fellow team member and Army Ranger Cedric King, who lost both legs when an IED exploded during a patrol in Afghanistan in 2012 said he is part of the 500-mile team trek because it’s a milestone that matters.
“This is what teamwork does,” said King, “this is what I value the most, it’s us doing this together.”
Spaulding, the Achilles International local chapter president, added that raising spirits and awareness is all included in their message – not to mention the funds they raise go to help wounded veterans.
“This is really about the power of the human spirit, its resilience and perseverance and accomplishing incredible things,” she said.
To learn more about Achilles International click here.
Jimmy Altman is a reporter at FOX61 News. He can be reached at jaltman@fox61.com. Follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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