March 13, 2012
Iraq War veteran Jeremy Staat stopped at the American Legion Post Saturday to enjoy a meal and get a good night’s sleep at a local hotel before resuming his 4,000-mile-plus journey.
Stories this photo appears in:
Heroic combat veterans face uphill challenge
Iraq War pair pedaling 4,000 miles to raise money for fellow soldiers seeking a way back
Jeremy Staat starred in football at Arizona State, played in the NFL for the Pittsburgh Steelers and fought in Iraq as a U.S. Marine, but Saturday’s bike ride uphill from Tempe to Payson presented him with one of his biggest challenges. “Sorry I’m late, but there was a mountain in my way,” Staat told a group of supporters just after arriving March 10 at the Payson American Legion Post. Of course, he couldn’t complain too loudly — since his riding companion Wesley Barrientos used biceps to pedal after losing his legs to a roadside bomb in Iraq.
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