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By Dominik Lobkowicz
U.S. Marine Corps veteran and bronze medal paralympian rower Rob Jones is cycling across the country in an effort to raise $1 million dollars for three charities that support wounded and ailing veterans.
Jones, who grew up in Virginia, was wounded by an improvised explosive device while serving in Afghanistan and is making his cycling trip using two prosthetic knees and lower legs.
Starting from Bar Harbor and shooting for southern California, Jones hopes to cover the 5314 miles of his trip by biking 30 miles a day, followed in a former U-Haul truck turned makeshift camper driven by his younger brother, Steve Miller.
Day Four of the journey, Oct. 17, Jones’ daily 30 miles brought him along Route 1 into Lincoln County.
Asked how he felt after four days of riding, Jones said, “Surprisingly fresh. I’ve got some soreness and bumps and bruises. I feel better than I expected to, to be honest.”
After Jones was injured and he spent a year in recovery, “I decided after I was finally done I wanted to go out and have a big adventure,” he said.
Using bike route maps he bought online, Jones intentionally planned his cross-country trip to be a difficult one.
“If you’re going to ask people to give you a million dollars, you’d better make it hard,” he said.
Jones said it took him nine or 10 months to learn how to ride a bike with his prosthetic legs, challenged less by the actual riding than how to get on and off the bike.
“It wasn’t really physically challenging to learn, but it was mentally challenging,” he said.
Jones estimated he has raised about $18,000 or $19,000 of his $1 million goal of donations. He has lots of time left – it will take Jones nearly six months to complete the journey at a rate of 30 miles per day.
Jones said he is covering the expenses for the trip out of his own pocket; expenses which, at this point, consist mainly of food, water, and fuel. One hundred percent of donations he receives will go to charity (the Coalition to Salute America’s Heroes, the Semper Fi Fund, and Ride 2 Recovery), he said.
Beyond his fundraising goal, Jones said he hopes people can use him as an example or a role model to push themselves through challenges they set for themselves.
Jones said so far most people give him a supportive honk as they pass him on the road, and twice already two different couples have offered he and Miller food and lodging, but often folks will just stop and talk to him about his trip.
Two locals, Jerry and Sarah Elwell, did just that as Jones was being interviewed in the back of his truck in the parking lot at Romeo’s in Damariscotta.
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Both of the Elwells are members of the Wells-Hussey American Legion Post #42, and Jerry is a Vietnam War veteran who was wounded three times.
“I’m lucky to be able to walk around and when I see somebody like you, I appreciate it,” Jerry said to Jones.
The Elwells presented Jones with two ball caps, one for the Marine Corps and another with a Purple Heart, and thanked him for his service.
“I’m so proud of you, thank you,” Sarah said to Jones.
For more information about Jones and his journey, to donate, or to find out how to follow Jones’ progress, visit http://www.robjonesjourney.com.
