George W. Bush bikes 100K with vets

by Jesse Byrnes - 04/30/15 1:54 PM ET

Former President George W. Bush kicked off an annual 100-kilometer (about 62-mile) bike ride at his ranch in Crawford, Texas, on Thursday to highlight support for wounded veterans.

Bush and around 20 service members are taking part in the fifth annual bike ride, which lasts three days on his 1,583-acre Prairie Chapel Ranch and part of the Bush Institute’s Military Service Initiative.

“I’ll be riding across the deserts of Texas with wounded warriors to show the unbelievable character of our men and women in uniform,” Bush said in a statement, describing the ride as a way “to herald people who were dealt a severe blow and said, ‘I’m not going to let it tear me down.’ “

Bush, whose brother, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R), is expected to launch a 2016 presidential bid soon, has slowly re-emerged in the public spotlight after maintaining a mostly low profile in recent years.

“A lot of programs in the country are dedicated to helping these warriors to become the productive citizens we know they can be,” Bush told Fox News about the ride.

“They refuse to allow their injury to confine to a dull, meaningless life,” he added.

“Oh, he’s great, believe me. He peddles,” retired U.S. Air Force Master Sergeant Roque Rodriguez-Urena, who took part in the ride the past two years, said of Bush in a video to promote this year’s event.

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