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Injured Veterans Embark On Bike Ride To Detroit

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Injured veterans begin the Ride 2 Remember bike ride from Chicago to Detroit. (Credit: Mike Krauser)

CHICAGO (CBS) -- A couple hundred cyclists hit the road this morning and plan to ride 360-miles from Chicago to Detroit. This is no ordinary bike ride, reports WBBM's Mike Krauser.

200 soldiers on various types of bicycles, depending on their injuries and disabilities, were at Soldier Field, the start of the ride to Detroit.

Injured Veterans Embark On Bike Ride To Detroit

"It's pretty amazing. The healing that happens over the course of a week is unbelievable," said Deborah Spano of the Ride 2 Recovery. "So they are all injured veterans that are coming to us from VA or from a hospital on a base. They are brought to do this so they can heal mentally and physically."

There are amputees like Mike Loggie, an Army veteran from San Antonio.

"I think physically and mentally it's outstanding. It clears your head if you have anything going on," said Loggie.

Jaime Cruz from Michigan has PTSD.

"It is a way to break down those walls and be social. I knew when I was checking in that this was something special. I felt the nervous energy in the room, like this is something special" said Cruz.

They will ride for six days.

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