Wounded veterans remember 9/11 as cycling team finishes 350-mile relay in DC

A team of athletes made up of wounded military personnel and veterans crossed the finish line together on a 350-mile bike ride down the east coast Wednesday in D.C.

As the Achilles Freedom Team rode in a weeklong relay across five northeastern cities, memories of the terror attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, loomed large.

WTOP spoke with two service members who were severely wounded in the line of duty — but that hasn’t stopped them. They’re among the dozen or so athletes with the Achilles Freedom Team who arrived at the Kennedy Center midday Wednesday.

“Heck of a long ride,” said retired Army Sgt. Omar Duran. “I was blessed to be offered the position to go.”

The team started in Hartford, Connecticut, visited every c

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