Catch a Lift

I was born October 23, 1980 Dallas Texas where I was raised by my mother in a broken home. I enlisted in the Marines September 13, 1999 where I deployed three times in support of Afghanistan, the U.S.S. Cole and Iraqi Freedom. I served all four years without report and made it into the Non Commissioned ranks, I was honorably discharged in 2003 and had seven jobs within the first year. I had a hard time connecting with people my own age, they did not understand me, I have been to seventeen different countries and have made decisions they could...

I'm an Air Force combat veteran, medically retired after my 9th tour when I was injured in Afghanistan. Along with a lot of physical surgeries, I racked up a lot of mental injuries that were left unchecked. After I was separated I didn't just lose my job I lost my identity, sense of purpose and motivation to keep up with my former fitness routines. The military really pushes physical fitness not simply for a physically strong fishing force but a mentally strong and healthy fighting force. To anyone in, works for, volunteers with or supports the Catch A Lift Fund,...

My name is Jason Rivera. I was a Specialist in the Army back in 2003-2005 where I served as a Combat Engineer/Infantry solider. Early on in my military career, shortly after boot camp, I was deployed overseas to Iraq. While I was there, I went through one of the most challenging experiences of my life. Our Humvee was hit by an anti-tank landmine/IED. The vehicle was blown up into the air and landed on its top and the entire front end of the vehicle was blown completely off. My fellow soldiers were jumbled and tossed around inside the vehicle but...

I retired from the Army as a Major in the Military Police Corps in 2014. I deployed to Iraq in 2007-2008 and Afghanistan in 2011-2012. I truly believe physical fitness plays an important role in the road to recovery during the post-deployment stage, specifically building and maintaining resiliency. For me, I choose "running" as my primary outlet to sustain my level of fitness and well-being. In addition, not only does Catch A Lift provide gym memberships and home equipment for post-911 veterans; it also serves as a communication hub for continuous support from fellow staff members and other veterans as...

So it has been a rough ride this whole surgery. I am doing well physically with the process but unfortunately, the mental game is a lot harder. I have falling in and out a battle with depression. I am trying to stay positive but depression and PTSD usually equates to isolation. For me, that has been the case. Part of that was seeing all that I have worked hard to maintain slip away. From staying on top of my PTSD to maintain and/or losing weight, I lost it. I gained all the weight I lost (40 plus pounds) and isolation...

I am a combat-wounded, medically retired OIF Veteran, who was notified of Catch A Lift by a fellow wounded Veteran. The application process was simple and straight forward, and after a few months I was notified that I would receive a one-year gym membership grant. I am now going on my second year as a Catch A Lift Veteran, and decided to volunteer as Squad Leader to provide support/mentorship to new Catch A Lift Veterans. Their mission is very logical: basically, provide gym memberships and/or at-home gym equipment to wounded Veterans, with the resulting goal being mental/physical healing. And, it...

I've been blown away by the organization's selfless devotion to my fellow wounded combat veteran community, their unwavering generosity, the family orientated culture of inclusiveness and how so many of those being served in-turn volunteer to assist CAL. That speaks volumes about an organization's culture! Of course I've had my up's and down's as the year has gone by, but through the inclusive family spirit of this organization and always being in communications with me regularly, I've never felt alone and always had the support needed to press on. I've also had many blessings to be thankful for, my wife...

“Fitness has truly helped me in many ways from being able to launch my business to getting back on the soccer field to being able to lift weights again. I love Catch a Lift for everything that they do and they stand for.” - Grovert Fuentes is a six-year Air Force Combat Veteran. He deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom where he served as a combat photographer. Grovert has had huge success with over 800 photographs, eight newsletters, and work highlights in TIME, MSNBC, CBS, The Atlantic and many additional news sources in over 30...

CAL and my amazing Squad Leader helped me find a way to deal with the anger and the frustration and the depression that is PTSD. It pushed me out of what had become my "comfort" zone, back into the gym, being around people again and working out as a coping mechanism instead of the unhealthy habits I had previously turned to. Biking and the gym are my new habits, what I do now when I'm struggling or mad or anxious or any of the feelings that ruled my life for quite some time. And those bad emotions that used to...

I have been a member of CAL for two years now. The first year my wife and I joined a gym through CAL. Even though the gym has closed we made friendships with people I still continue to see today. PTSD has made it difficult to go out in public and CAL has certainly helped me with that. This year CAL has provided gym equipment. It is difficult for my wife and I to go to a gym regularly with a new son at home as well as having his brother. Exercise is important to me for so many reasons....

I’m SFC John Goudie from Champaign, IL. a Green Beret with 7th Special Forces Group. In 2012, while on patrol in Khandahar, Afghanistan, I was shot multiple times. The results of my injuries left me with a below the knee amputation of my left leg and a prosthetic humorous in my right arm and loss of my long head bicep and front and mid deltoids muscles. I was the first to receive this type of prosthetic after agreeing that there were no guarantees and it was an experimental product but only other option was to remove my right arm at...

Joe joined the US Army in 2001 and served as an MP in tactical military police units for seven years. He deployed to Kosovo in 2002, Iraq 2003-2004, Afghanistan 2005-2006, and Iraq again 2007-2008. He was wounded in action in 2007 and was honorably discharged in 2008. Joe spent several years traveling overseas after his military service. He spent his time learning about other cultures, history and studying languages before moving back to Washington, DC for school and to become more connected to veteran service organizations. He has deployed domestically with Team Rubicon to natural disasters and is a Fellow...