Veteran hand-pedals 113 miles to help fellow wounded warriors

Army Sergeant Joshua Cope, who was severely injured in an explosion in Baghdad in 2006, took on a new mission Saturday when he rode from Orlando to Tampa on his hand-crank bicycle.

Until about three months ago, Cope said, the Top End Force G bicycle, which he received from the Veterans Administration more than a year ago as part of his therapy, was largely unused.

Then he and some of his Army buddies, who also left Iraq with various injuries, were searching for a way to raise money for Building Homes for Heroes, an organization that helps provide homes for the wounded and their families.

Cope said he looked at his bike and came up with an idea.

"I would ride 100 miles," he said. ...