Army Veteran to Ride Wheelchair 422 Miles for Suicide Awareness

Twenty-two. That’s the number of American veterans who commit suicide, on average, each day — many of them suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). U.S. Army Sgt. Joshua Geartz is taking matters into his own hands in an attempt to drastically cut that number.

Geartz, who suffered from PTSD and at one point attempted suicide himself, will ride his wheelchair 422 miles as part of his “422 For 22” fundraising campaign to raise suicide awareness. Geartz is riding in support of two organizations: Songwriting With: Soldiers, which he credits for helping to save his own life, and Team Red, White Blue.

“Everything was just so overwhelming,” says Geartz, who attempted to end his own life in 2014. “It came to a point when I had to admit that I wasn’t able to care for myself or my son. That was the hardest thing that I ever had to do. I had been through countless therapies, programs and other treatments. Nothing seemed to help.

“I’ve lost friends to suicide, friends have lost friends to suicide and I got tired of seeing it on the news and social media and felt something needed to be done.”

Geartz tells Newsmax Health that Songwriting With: Soldiers — a program that pairs veterans with award-winning songwriters to tell their stories in song — helped save his life.

“Being able to tell my story through song helped me in ways that traditional programs just couldn’t do,” explains Geartz.

Veteran suicide rates far outnumber the national civilian average, a staggering fact that Geartz wants to bring awareness to.

“People I’ve been talking with have no idea that 22 veterans take their lives every day in America,” he says. “I hope to make people more aware of the veteran suicide rate in this country and start more conversations. Hopefully someone who might not want to talk to a friend or someone they know about what their struggling with will open up.”

Geartz says managing PTSD is not easy. It requires hard work and a commitment to grow, get help, and not let it be your undoing.

“You have to put yourself out there. Things aren’t going to change by doing the same things,” he says. “No matter how it seems there are people out there who really care, but they’re not always going to know how much you’re hurting unless you tell them — and that’s part of opening up.”

Geartz will begin his ride Saturday, May 27 in Angola, Ind., and plans to complete the journey in 35 days at Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station in Niagara Falls, N.Y. on Saturday, July 1.

To learn more about his ride, check out his Facebook page here.