ANNAPOLIS, Md. — She joined the service as a teenager and rose to the rank of chief petty officer.
Now, Sharona Young has joined the ranks of the Wounded Warriors—-injured veterans learning how to deal with the life that awaited them when their service was cut short.
“I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis while I was active in the Navy,” Young told us, “It took away my mobility. It took away my livelihood at the time so I did go through a period of depression and I did go through that period of hopelessness and just not knowing how to go on."
For the 20th year in a row, the Wounded Warrior’s Soldier Ride has brought veterans together in Annapolis for a special mission, cycling together in unison, as a single unit, bringing back that shared sense of purpose missing since they returned to civilian life.
The two dozen or so cyclists are, but a fraction of those who at one point found themselves suffering in silence.
“There’s 250,000 registered family support member and warriors within Wounded Warrior Project,” said Wounded Warrior Project Vice President James Herrera, “and there’s over three million Post 9/11 veterans that could potentially benefit from service.”
For some of the veterans, the injuries are physical, while for others, they are undetectable to the naked eye.
Tyshawn Jenkins rose to the rank of first lieutenant in a fighter wing of the Air National Guard.
“9/11 happened and it was just burning into me to be able to give back and serve the country that I felt had done so much for me,” said Jenkins, “but when I came home, unfortunately, I turned to the bottle.”
Their stories are as varied as their struggles, and through the Wounded Warrior Project, these veterans are emerging from their individual battles as survivors with the help of their newfound comrades.
Just ask Sharon Young.
“Just being around fellow veterans, having the camaraderie, feeling like I belong again and just getting that sense of purpose.”
