When Freddie de Los Santos thinks about Race Across America (RAAM), his mind and spirit are strengthened by a quote from none other than Lance Armstrong:
“Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place. If I quit, however, it lasts forever.”
And it’s that fear of “quit” – and his fierce desire to avoid failure – that Freddie says drives him to succeed.
“The only intimidation I have about RAAM is not being able to complete the race in less than seven days,” explains Freddie. “I expect my Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) RAAM team experience to help me take my recovery process to the next level, get mentally stronger, and help change the social pathology and civil rights treatment of people with disability.”
Freddie has a passion to help people overcome their challenges, because he knows firsthand what it’s like to struggle. He initially found out about RAAM during his rehabilitation process at Water Reed Hospital in 2010 and decided to enter the race to represent the wounded servicemen and women who are still going through the recovery process and for those who were killed in action.
As he continues to progress in his recovery, Freddie credits hand cycling as a tool that has helped him transition into a normal life after receiving severe injuries in Afghanistan.
“Cycling has greatly helped me recover physically, mentally and socially. It’s the most rewarding experience being able to compete despite my disabilities. Through my participation with the WWP RAAM team, I really would like to bring hope, inspiration and the joy of achievement to people with disability.”
