MUDDY CREEK TWP — Despite at one time suffering traumatic injuries, 41 former U.S. soldiers rode bikes through Moraine State Park on Saturday.

The event was a part of the Wounded Warrior Project's Soldier Ride.

Amanda Becker, Soldier Ride specialist with the Wounded Warrior Project, said Soldier Rides are held in every city that has a Wounded Warrior office. An office recently opened in Pittsburgh, so this is the first year one is being held in Western Pennsylvania.

“It will be an annual event,” Becker said.

Friday, they did a 13-mile bike ride in Pittsburgh and did a few other activities.

Saturday, they did a 19-mile bike ride through Moraine State Park and followed that with some boating.

The program helps people who were injured in the armed services during 9-11 and post 9-11 gain confidence and relate with other people going through the same issues.

“When they're done, it's like a totally different person,” Becker said.

Ashley Crites of Shreveport, La., formerly of Gibsonia, suffers from post traumatic stress disorder, mild traumatic brain injury and has a bad back and hips. She served in the Air Force from 2003 to 2011.

She first was injured during training. It was a mild injury. Later, she got another mild injury.

“Through a couple of years, it just got worse and worse,” Crites said.

In Iraq, she was involved in a mortar attack.

She said PTSD was her big issue. She served as a medic and saw other soldiers with PTSD, but she was unable to recognize the symptoms in herself. She eventually attempted suicide.

The last time she was back in the Pittsburgh area, she was using a walker. She said her mother was upset seeing her daughter like that. This time, her mother is much happier. She said she enjoyed seeing Pittsburgh again, as well.

“Just seeing all that ... was absolutely magical,” Crites said.

Jeremy Keeler of East Texas, formerly of Beaver County, was in the Army from 1997 to 2010.

He was injured while he was helping to load a wounded soldier into a helicopter in Afghanistan. A group of soldiers were ambushed, and one of them was shot in the arm. While carrying the man on a stretcher with three other soldiers, the man in front of Keeler tripped.

Keeler blew out his shoulder, crushed a disc in his neck and suffered neck and back issues. Since then, he has suffered stiffness, loss of mobility, pain and migraines.

“Good days and bad days,” Keeler said.

When he first heard of the Wounded Warrior program, he felt that riding a bike would be a good activity since it has a lower impact than running or walking. He said he was enjoying the program.

“I'm glad I did (it),” Keeler said.

Winslow Padgett of Corpus Christi, Texas, served in the Army from 1997 to 2013 before retiring.

In 2006 in the Middle East, a vehicle he was riding in was hit by a vehicle born IED. The IED did not explode as bad as it could have.

“It didn't 'boom' the way (the attacker) wanted it to,” Padgett said.

However, Padgett still suffered traumatic brain injury and post traumatic stress disorder. Since then, he has had some “attitude issues” and forgetfulness.

After retiring, his wife encouraged him to join the Wounded Warrior Project.

Despite riding several miles both days, Padgett is not what you could call a regular biker.

“I haven't touched a bike since high school,” Padgett said.

Ben George of Stroudsburg, Monroe County, was a pilot in the Navy from 2000 to 2010, starting at the U.S. Naval Academy.

However, he had to have three back surgeries during his time in the service. After that, the Navy told him he no longer could do his job, so he retired.

Before starting the Moraine State Park events, he said that the ride through Pittsburgh went very well.

“It's been a blast,” George said.