Marine Corporal Matthew Bradford lost both legs and his vision when he stepped on an improvised explosive device in Iraq in January of 2007, but he brought a message of perseverance and hope when he stopped in Hopkinsville on a bicycle ride from Ashland to Fort Campbell.
The Kentucky native says the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on America were the driving force behind him joining the military in 2005 and he deployed to Iraq in 2006.
Corporal Bradford says he had a lot of soul searching to do when he woke up in a hospital three weeks after stepping on the IED and he began to realize he could continue serving his country in different ways. Traveling through Christian County with Operation Enduring Warrior and joined by personnel from Fort Campbell—Bradford says it is his mission on the bike ride and in his life to inspire anyone facing challenges that they can continue fighting.
Bradford says the early stages of his recovery inspired a mindset of determination that he now works to spread.
He says finishing up the ride on Fort Campbell with his brothers and sisters in arms was important to him.
Corporal Bradford doesn’t just ride bikes—he’s also completed seven marathons and seven half-marathons and says he will continue to find new ways to challenge himself in the years ahead.
Hopkinsville Mayor Carter Hendricks and representatives of the city police and fire departments and the Christian County Sheriff’s Department helped welcome and escort him into and through the city.
