Yecenia, a U.S. Air Force veteran who was injured at Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan, and Joi, a disabled veteran who served as an aviation boatswain’s mate — fueling aircraft on the decks of two U.S. Navy carriers — both came to Freewheels Houston during the Fourth of July holiday weekend to get what they wanted to celebrate freedom: reliable bikes.

For Joi, riding is part of her mental health journey and a way to spend more active time with her daughter, who is seven turning eight and got her own Freewheels bike. “I’m super, super grateful for my bike.”

Yecenia moved to Houston after she left the Air Force to pursue her dream of a job at NASA. For now, she works with children at Space Center Houston and volunteers as a trained peer counselor for other women veterans through the Wounded Warrior Project.

Yecenia has lined up Freewheels bikes for seven veterans, including herself and Joi. She is also training for her next Soldiers’ Ride, a Wounded Warrior Project program that provides adaptive and other bikes for a four-day program of rides and other activities. She connected her fellow veterans with Dress for Success as well.

Joi credits Yecenia for tracking down resources to help veterans — including Freewheels.

Yecenia agrees. “It’s just amazing how much Freewheels and other people in the Houston community give back.”

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