On Nov. 29, 2005, Army veteran Ryan Kules’ life changed in an instant.
Deployed to Taji, Iraq, as a member of the 1st Battalion, 13th Armored Regiment, he was riding in a Humvee with two other soldiers, sergeants Jerry Mills and Donald Hasse, while completing an early-morning patrol. The vehicle struck an improvised explosive device (IED). The blast sliced the Humvee in half, killing both Hasse and Mills.
“My vehicle drove over some artillery shells that were buried in the road,” Kules told DC News Now.
Kules survived – after spending two weeks in a coma at Walter Reed Army Medical Center– but his left leg and right arm were severed. He had to adapt to life as a double amputee.
Each year, when Nov. 29 rolls around, the combat veteran reflects on that fateful day with mixed emotions. He calls it his “alive day,” the day he survived while his two comrades didn’t.
Going for the Record
On Dec. 1, at M&T Bank Stadium, home of the Baltimore Ravens, Kules will commemorate the 20th anniversary of “alive day” and think about Hasse and Mills as he attempts to surpass a Guinness World Record for rowing.
He will try to become the first double amputee to row the distance of an ultramarathon, which is any distance longer than a traditional marathon of 26.2 miles, typically around 31 miles.
By using prosthetics for his arm and leg, Kules can enjoy the satisfaction of rowing, a total body workout that also has mental health benefits. Rowing helps heal mental wounds he’s carried for two decades.
“I get the physical activity and it helps my mind rest a little bit,” he said.
While rowing can be grueling, Kules is willing to push himself physically and mentally to smash a world record … and honor the “brothers” he lost in Iraq.
“It’s not always easy,” he said. “You get tired, but you have to stay at it. It’s hard, and when you want to quit and give up, you have to keep going.”
Following his near-fatal injury in Iraq, Kules faced a long, arduous rehab and some dark days.
“I didn’t know what was next,” he said. “I needed help for everything. Feeding myself, sitting up. It was a slow process. It took about five or six months before I was walking independently.”
Kules was able to bounce back physically, while still learning how to navigate life as a double amputee. However, he battled survivor’s guilt and wondered if he had just done something differently on Nov. 29, 2005, would Hasse and Mills still be alive?
“It was a watershed moment,” Kules said. “I had a choice. Either deal with it or let it bring me down. I’m happy I didn’t choose that path.”
Work with Wounded Warrior Project
After retiring from the Army as a captain in 2007, Kules quickly jumped into a new mission – helping other veterans. Kules joined the Wounded Warrior Project and became the organization’s Project Odyssey director. Kules shares his stories with other veterans, hoping they’ll do the same and receive the care they need.
“Taking everything I’ve been through and using it as a teaching tool, something I can use for good,” Kules said.
With Project Odyssey, Kules’ areas of expertise include Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, adventure-based mental health support, combat-related stress, suicide prevention, accepting the veteran’s point of view, and fighting stigmas veterans often feel.
Motivating Other Veterans
Along with paying tribute to the soldiers lost in the Iraq War, Kules also hopes his world record attempt will motivate other veterans battling physical and mental disabilities. Living in Severna Park, Maryland, with his wife Nancy and three children, Jillian, Liv and Evan, Kules wants to enjoy every precious moment he can with his family.
He knows how fragile life can be.
“Just because you have significant injuries doesn’t mean life stops,” he said. “We all have an opportunity [to] keep going and press on with life.”
