Marine Corps veteran from Castle Rock who lost eyesight completes challenging 'Soldier Ride' cycling event

A Castle Rock Marine Corps veteran, Zach Tidwell, completed the Soldier Ride 250, a 1,000-mile cycling event organized by the Wounded Warrior Project to mark the US’s 250th birthday, despite blindness. Tidwell endured days of rain and was escorted by Harley-Davidson riders as he finished the final 250 miles on a tandem bike from Washington, DC to New York City, near the World Trade Center Memorial. The journey followed a 2019 suicide attempt leave and underscored his resilience. WWP’s adaptive sports director Mike Owens praised the veterans’ perseverance, and Tidwell emphasized gaining a new appreciation for life through hard challenges.