 |
|
|
|
||
|
|
|
|
|
| About Me I'm no longer in uniform but I still want to express my support for our military and our veterans. This cycling journey is my way of showing gratitude to those of you who have served and continue to do so. Thank you for your service. Your sacrifices are not forgotten. I graduated from the US Military Academy in 1988 and spent the following seven years as an Army officer, mostly overseas. My military jobs included tank platoon leader in Germany, tank company executive officer in the Gulf War, and commander of a logistics company in South Korea. The highlight of my time in the military was the three years I spent in Europe, where I was able to get a front row seat to the end of the Cold War. Visiting places like Berlin, Prague, Moscow, and Budapest during the twilight of communism was an absolutely life-changing and unforgettable experience. After I left the Army, I moved to New York City to attend graduate school, finishing the MBA program at Columbia University in 1997. For the next three years I worked as an equity trader on Wall Street, at which point I decided that the time was ripe to do something I've always wanted to do: travel around the world. It was one of the best things I've ever done. New Zealand, Australia, Southeast Asia, Nepal, Tibet, China, Trans-Siberian Railroad across Russia, Turkey, Europe, and back home. I was blessed to meet good people everywhere I went. Toward the end of my trip, just before I was scheduled to come back to the USA, the September 11th attacks occurred. My old office in Manhattan was only a few minutes walk from the World Trade Center. The lessons I learned from the people I met on my journey, combined with the events of 9/11, served to remind me of the random and unpredictable nature of life. I realized that I didn't need to measure my worth by how much money I was making, and I didn't need to have a business card with impressive titles, and I didn't need to do things just because they were expected of me by others. I just had to enjoy my life and find meaning on my own terms. I would focus on appreciating my 'todays', and not dwell on what might or might not happen tomorrow. Over the past few years, I've done mostly entrepreneurial work, such as small ventures with a few other people or on my own. In the summer of 2006, I returned to the US after 28 months in the Middle East, where I was running a small project management company engaged in infrastructure development in Iraq. I worked closely with both the US military and some great Iraqi people. It was a privilege once again to work with soldiers, and as a result, I still feel very connected to the current conflict and the sacrifices being made by our military personnel who are deployed overseas. I am a US Army veteran with a service-connected disability rating of 20%. While my injuries are minor in comparison to those of many others, I have an appreciation for the challenges faced by today's veterans who require medical attention. I am sure that this cycling adventure will be a memorable experience. But even more than that, I'm hoping it will serve as a unique way to honor America's heroes - our newest "greatest generation". I am also hoping that some of you who are following the journey will be inspired to cycle along with me...even if only in spirit. Thank you for your support, Ed Acevedo Donate Online! Click HERE. (If donating online, please indicate in the appropriate box or comments section that your donation is in support of Bike4Vets or Fallen Heroes' Ride Across America.) |
||
|
|
| Contact Ed: ed@bike4vets.org |
Site designed by Wendy Smith |