Can-Am and the Road Warrior Foundation (RWF), recently came together to host an unforgettable “Adventure Therapy” ride that covered nearly 2,000 miles aboard Can-Am Spyder 3-wheel vehicles. This year marked the 10th Annual Road Warrior Ride, which gives veterans the opportunity to disconnect from their day-to-day life and experience the incredible healing power of riding the open road, all completely free of charge.
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The veterans were selected by RWF from a pool of hundreds of applicants, and as is the focus of every RWF adventure, they were all post-9/11 veterans with various injuries, both physical and mental. Something else they all shared: a craving for adventure and a need to inject some excitement in their lives. Riding is a perfect recipe for a group of likeminded strangers with so much in common.
“Can-Am has been the title sponsor of the Road Warrior Foundation since it was established in 2013, proudly helping to enable its mission to provide Adventure Therapy to U.S. Military veterans,” said Martin Ethier, Global Marketing Director, Can-Am. “We firmly believe that the open road is open to all, and through this sponsorship, we are able to bring that to life for a group of incredibly deserving riders.”
Prior to hitting the road, the group gathered in Lake George, NY, where they spent time getting to know each other and received a hero’s welcome from more than 300 Can-Am owners at SpyderQuest, an annual Can-Am owners event in beautiful upstate New York. Several of the riders had only recently acquired their motorcycle license, and most had very little experience riding in a group, so prior to the main event, Can-Am and RWF representatives did some closed-course and classroom training on the fleet of vehicles provided by Can-Am. Then it was time to hit the open road.
“Can-Am 3-wheel vehicles are the only vehicles that allow us to do what we do because it’s so easy to learn to ride,” said Stephen Berger, co-founder of the Road Warrior Foundation and U.S. Air Force veteran. “BRP provides us a fleet of vehicles that we keep all over the country, so for this ride and other smaller ones we have throughout the year, we’re able to get veterans of all skill levels out riding quickly by putting them through the Can-Am Rider Education Program.”
As always, once the wheels were rolling, the excitement was undeniable from all. The veterans experienced amazing views, great roads, and landmarks such as the National Baseball Hall of Fame in NY, the Flight 93 National Memorial in PA, and the National Museum of the USAF in OH. Undoubtedly, though, one of the biggest highlights was a Can-Am off-road experience at Badlands Off-Road Park in Attica, Indiana, where Can-Am dealer, Attica Motorsports, hosted the group while they enjoyed riding Can-Am Maverick, Defender, and Commander off-road vehicles through the park’s 1,400+ acres.
In addition to providing the fleet of vehicles, Can-Am also gave the riders a full suite of riding gear to cover the various climates they covered on their way from New York, through Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Indiana, Illinois, and ultimately concluding at a Can-Am owners’ event called, “Spyders in the Ozarks,” with more than 300 Can-Am riders welcoming them as they rode into Nixa, MO.
About Road Warrior Foundation
The Road Warrior Foundation is an all-volunteer, non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that’s run by veterans, for veterans. The organization primarily utilizes powersports as Adventure Therapy to produce a challenging environment that puts deserving veterans back in the driver’s seat. The Foundation’s powersports experiences range from quick day-trips to multi-day rides like this one, as well as off-road days and snowmobiling excursions.
About BRP
BRP Inc. is a global leader in the world of powersports products, propulsion systems and boats built on over 80 years of ingenuity and intensive consumer focus. Through its portfolio of industry-leading and distinctive brands featuring Ski-Doo and Lynx snowmobiles, Sea-Doo watercraft and pontoons, Can-Am on and off-road vehicles, Alumacraft and Quintrex boats, Manitou pontoons and Rotax marine propulsion systems as well as Rotax engines for karts and recreational aircraft, BRP unlocks exhilarating adventures and provides access to experiences across different playgrounds. The Company completes its lines of products with a dedicated parts, accessories and apparel portfolio to fully optimize the riding experience. Committed to growing responsibly, BRP is developing electric models for its existing product lines and exploring new low voltage and human assisted product categories. Headquartered in Quebec, Canada, BRP has annual sales of CA$10 billion from over 130 countries and a global workforce of close to 23,000 driven, resourceful people.
My wife and I would love to do this I’m a disabled veteran who just recently lost his father and inherited a beautiful canam spyder top of the line. I drove it from Connecticut to Ontario County ny and enjoyed the ride very much.
Easy to learn like it’s easy to learn bowling. A world of difference in the riding experience between a heavily experienced Spyder rider and a novice. Just like the difference between a pro bowler and someone who has done it a few times. It’s looks the same but they are universes apart. Hopefully some of the newbies will buy one, dig in, and get to experience what’s possible on a Spyder. (I have a Spyder, and also a SuperMoto and a Liter bike and neither are as much fun as the Spyder.