Latest news with #WarriorExpeditions
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Iowa veteran back on Appalachian Trail, surpasses 900 miles after battling Norovirus
WHO 13 NEWS – Iowa veteran Joedy VanVelzen surpassed 900 miles hiking the Appalachian Trail: an expedition that extends nearly 2,200 miles between Georgia and Maine and passes through 14 states. After taking a few days to rest and recover from Norovirus, he made it into Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. The illness appears to be spreading among hikers. Norovirus alerts are posted along the trail, warning hikers to treat all water, wash their hands, report illness, and seek medical treatment. VanVelzen said fellow veterans a part of the Warrior Expeditions group have been hit hard with the illness, with one requiring evacuation from the trail to the ER. He said it's difficult to determine the source of the sickness, but they are taking precautions. Thankfully, VanVelzen is healthy, feeling good, and back to hiking. He's grateful for all the support he's received on the trail, including a 'Quilt of Valor' from the North Carolina Quilters Guild. The group made and delivered a quilt to each veteran in the two Warrior Expedition groups. A warm blanket could come in handy with all the rain VanVelzen continues to see on the journey. 'Meanwhile, got this beautiful waterfall behind me,' VanVelzen said in a video update posted to his Facebook page. 'Purely a product of all of the rain that we had. So all the streams and brooks and creeks and rivers, they're all flowing incredibly well just because of the three to four days of rain.' VanVelzen still has less than 1,300 miles to go until the end of the trail in Maine. He hopes to get there by the last week of August. If you'd like to follow along, follow his Facebook page: On the Appalachian Trail with Joedy Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Yahoo
One month in: Iowa veteran logs nearly 500 miles on the Appalachian Trail
WHO 13 NEWS – Iowa veteran Joedy VanVelzen has been hiking the Appalachian Trail for one month. He is making his way to Virginia with the veteran group he's a part of called Warrior Expeditions. The veterans met in Georgia back on March 17. They've accomplished a lot in the first month with three states in the rearview mirror, including Georgia, Tennessee, and North Carolina. 'Before They Were Soldiers' profiles Iowans who did not return from Vietnam VanVelzen said he's averaging more than 100 miles a week and coming across countless views and people along the way. While the weather has been a challenge at times, he said the vet supporters along the way have been amazing in their rest and recovery. One tradition on the Appalachian Trail is that fellow hikers give you a trail name. A fellow veteran gave VanVelzen the trail name 'Unicorn' because it is a rare person to have forty years of military service, the rank of Chief Warrant Officer Five, and be a Black Hawk helicopter pilot. He tells us he should be over 500 miles by Friday, April 25, meaning they have nearly 1,700 miles to go until the end of the trail in Maine. He hopes to get there by the last week of August. If you'd like to follow along, follow his Facebook page: On the Appalachian Trail with Joedy Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Yahoo
Iowa veteran embarks on Appalachian Trail journey
WHO 13 NEWS – An Iowa veteran is on a six-month mission to hike what many have attempted but only the toughest have completed. Joedy VanVelzen is hiking the Appalachian Trail: an expedition that extends nearly 2,200 miles between Georgia and Maine and passes through 14 states. 'It's been on the bucket list for years,' VanVelzen said. 'And for it to come together so quickly almost kind of caught me off guard because I wasn't expecting it.' Last year, VanVelzen applied to be a part of a team of veterans to hike the Appalachian Trail through the non-profit Warrior Expeditions. More stories: Veterans' Voices Out of 400 vets who applied and interviewed for the 'Warrior Hike' program, he was one of 20 to make the cut. 'And basically, what they do is they're providing the why,' VanVelzen said. 'It's for veterans that have had at least one or multiple combat deployments, and it's a way to just rebalance yourself and kind of reconnect after being in the service for so long.' Vanvelzen's 40 years of military service included multiple overseas deployments. 'When I first got in, I was a combat medic,' VanVelzen said. 'And then after a couple of years, I've had the opportunity to attend flight school and I flew Blackhawk helicopters for the majority of my career.' Now, this retired veteran is on a new mission to hike more than 2,000 miles over the next six months. 'I feel great about it. I feel like I'm in probably some of the best shape I've been in my entire life,' VanVelzen said. 'And 62 years old and working out at least probably two to three hours a day, at least for the last couple of months since January. I'm physically ready to do this.' His goal is to get up to two miles an hour for 10 hours a day, going four to five days at a time before taking a 'zero day.' That's when he will shower, rest, and resupply. Last Iowa veteran to serve in Vietnam also served in Iraq Warrior Expeditions is providing the clothing, shoes, and supplies he needs to make the long-distance expedition. VanVelzen, with help from his family, is posting updates on his progress on his Facebook page: On the Appalachian Trail with Joedy. 'It is a great motivating factor to have that kind of support that I never knew was out there,' VanVelzen said. Support for a trek that will test him physically and mentally. An outdoor exploration that will make him dig deep on the inside. 'They say this is a life-changing event and your life will be forever different once you complete the trail,' VanVelzen said. 'If you can do this, you can probably do about anything that you set your mind to.' We will post updates on VanVelzen's progress every Tuesday morning on Today in Iowa during the Veterans Voices segment. Iowa veteran embarks on Appalachian Trail journey Iowan sues makers of Jeep Wrangler 4xe due to risk of battery fire or explosion Tractors line Highway 14 to honor longtime Jasper County farmer Iowa Barber Coalition urging lawmakers to approve bill to allow training on the job Iowa Senate amends, approves Governor Reynolds' school cellphone restriction bill Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
