Retired United States Army Sergeant William Alvarez, a disabled Vietnam War veteran, and member of the Achilles Freedom Team, spoke with Ginger about how he became involved in competitive handcycling, his experience in more than 15 marathons (and counting), and how handcycling has been instrumental in his physical and mental health.

Bio: William lives in NYC and has been a member of the Achilles Freedom Team and Achilles NYC Chapter for a decade. A veteran of the Vietnam War, William regularly trains with Achilles in Central Park. As William reflects, “Our country as a whole has lived through a great event this past year. I hope we have learned something from the experiences. This may give others a bit of insight as to what we veterans went through during and after the Vietnam war.”

‍Keith Wilson, Interviewer and Facilitator
Dr. Keith Wilson, who interviewed William for this video, is a psychotherapist for Ginger, where he specializes in treating survivors of trauma and anxiety containment. Keith was a performance and resilience trainer with the Comprehensive Soldier and Family Fitness program. Within this program, Keith specialized in the Warriors in Transition, which was designed to help injured soldiers use sport psychology principles, among other tools, to help them return to duty or find a healthy life outside the U.S. Army.