A former member of the biker gang Hell’s Angels has founded a nonprofit to give severely wounded veterans the opportunity to become heroes once again.
By taking them on mountaineering expeditions that scale the world’s most challenging summits, Tim Medvetz and his Heroes Project has helped them rediscover their strength and sense of pride.
The biker needed such a journey himself, after a motorcycle accident in 2001 left him wondering whether he’d walk again. Turned off by standard physical therapy, he tried to find another way to regain his footing.
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“I felt like I was dying,” he said. “I needed a punch in the mouth.”
It turned out, Mount Everest was that punch in the mouth—he climbed it on his second attempt, and threw his pain pills away shortly after.
For the past six years, Medvetz has been sharing his program with hundreds of amputees who are learning that they are still the amazing men and women they always were.
Today, on Veteran’s Day, he is leading a group toward the summit of Africa’s highest peak, Mount Kilimanjaro.
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Through two different divisions, his Heroes Project helps these veterans regain their own footing.
Climbs for Heroes supports climbing programs for wounded marines, soldiers and veterans, and documents the trips on video to use for advocacy and empowerment purposes. Hope for Heroes works to support and help expand other existing community service programs that support veterans.
(WATCH the video below from 60 Minutes) Photo credits: Heroes Project on Facebook