Courtesy Photo | (Photo courtesy US Paracycling) Sgt First Class Jeffrey Peters on a trike during his...... read more read more
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FALLS CHURCH, Va.- Sgt. 1st Class Jeffrey Peters isn’t letting grass grow under his feet now that he is a return-to-duty Soldier after suffering an ischemic stroke in 2021. “I remember when I was discharged from the hospital in a wheelchair, which I stayed in for a while, and look at me now. I've come so far. I can walk, run, and compete. No one would ever know I had a stroke to look at me,” said Peters, who chose adaptive sports as part of his recovery.
The Fort Riley Soldier Recovery Unit was an excellent place for Peters to regain his life and his ability to return to work. Peters believes in the mission and wants to help other Soldiers. “Since I was at the SRU, I have been heavily involved in the Adaptive Reconditioning program. I've driven Soldiers to the aquatic events on Wednesdays, for example. I've even shown Soldiers how to swim with one arm because I had to learn to do that at Warrior Games this past summer and won gold! I want to share with others how I did that,” said the former Team Army and Team US member.
Sharing his recovery journey and experiences from Warrior Games and Invictus Germany, he says, allows him to further help current Soldiers push through whatever their situation may be, landing them in the SRU. “They ask how I do certain things. The biggest takeaway is that every single sport is adaptable. I explain how classification works because everyone is different. You compete the way YOU can compete, not the same way everyone else competes. You are evaluated the way you are doing it. I have to help dispel the myth that someone thinks they can't do something.”
Peters was an avid cyclist who was a solid competitor before and after his stroke. He has to do it differently now and has transitioned to a “trike” or three-wheeled bike. “It's an upright tricycle. Because of the type of injury I have from my stroke, balance is a huge issue, so this style of bike is helpful. I'm pretty good at managing my balance, but it's too dangerous to get on a two-wheel bike anymore,” said the Army Infantryman.
This trike is a paralympic pathway for Peters, who focuses on competing in the 2028 games in Los Angeles. “The tricycle is likely what I will be classified on when I get an official classification through paralympic cycling next summer.”
To his surprise, the Paralympic committee connected with him. “Every year, the Olympic /Paralympic training center has a talent identification camp. They selected me, and we spent a whole week cycling back in October. It was so exciting,” said Peters.
He is training for national and international races in 2025. During this training, he said he found a better way to grip the bike, which he believes can help others. “I feel like I invented a helpful tool for gripping a bike or trike. I call it the “ataxi- grip” because I have ataxia. I'm sure most folks with a brain injury with a balance issue probably have it. I started doing this, and it works. It won’t work for able-bodied riders, but the ataxia grip works for me because you have your good side on the hood (The top of the rubbery brake). Then, you put your affected side on the crossbar. What it does is it helps stabilize you and makes your body more comfortable so that you can get in a more arrow dynamic position for a longer period of time,” said the multi-medalist from Warrior Games and Invictus.
He encourages checking with a cycling instructor or physical therapist before trying the ataxi-grip; Peters also offers a positive approach to following dreams. “Start doing repetitions of whatever adaptive sport you want to do. You won’t get good at it if you don’t become consistent with your goals. You don’t know until you try. And do not let your impairments limit what you can do. You are only going against yourself!”
| Date Taken: | 01.08.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 01.08.2025 11:42 |
| Story ID: | 488833 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 23 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Return to duty Soldier has Paralympic dreams, by MaryTherese Griffin, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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