Temple University Athletics
Men’s Crew Offers a Home Base to an Inspirational Marine Veteran
10.13.17 | Men's Crew
America needs heroes now more than ever, and one such man crossed paths with the Temple University men's crew team Friday.
That man is Rob Jones, and if you are not inspired by his story you likely do not possess a pulse.
Rob grew up on a farm in the small town (pop. 1,985) of Lovettsville, Va. He graduated from Loudoun Valley High in 2003, and went on to earn his diploma from Virginia Tech ('07). In his junior year at Virginia Tech, he joined the Marine Corps Reserve as a combat engineer with Bravo Company, 4th Combat Engineer Battalion based in Roanoke, Va.
During his second deployment (first was in 2008 to Iraq) to Afghanistan in 2010, he was operating as a part of a push into Taliban territory. There he was tasked with clearing an area with a high likelihood of containing an IED (improvised explosive devices). It was in this capacity that his life would be changed forever.
Rob was wounded in action by a land mine. The injury resulted in a left knee dis-articulation and a right above knee amputation of his legs. This left him as a double amputee.
It was an injury that would normally cripple the spirit as much as the body. That was not the case for this brave young man.
During his recovery at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Rob took up the sport of rowing. Always in search of a challenge, he wanted to be the best at this new sport, and that propelled him to become a Paralympic athlete. In 2012, he competed for the USA team and won a bronze medal in trunk and arms mixed doubles competition.
The following year, Rob took to the road, literally, riding his bike across America. His solo supported bike ride started in Bar Harbor, Maine and ended in Camp Pendleton, Calif. The ride was 5,180 miles long and encompassed a total of 181 days. Over the course of the ride, he and his team raised $126,000 for the Coalition to Salute America's Heroes, the Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund, and Ride 2 Recovery, three charities which aid wounded veterans.
Over the next two years Rob trained to compete in the triathlon. Although he made considerable personal improvement, he was unable to qualify for the 2016 Paralympic Games.
Next up for this amazing young man was a new and even more daunting challenge: 31 marathons, 31 different cities, 31 consecutive days.
His goal is to raise $1,000,000 for wounded veteran charities. As of now, $125,000 has been raised. The charities he is supporting are the Coalition to Salute America's Heroes, the Tunnel to Towers Foundation and the Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund.
"The idea of doing these challenges for myself came about in 2013 originally when I decided to ride my bike across America," explains Jones. "I realized that I needed to be an example for other veterans and show them that just because you come back wounded in some way, either psychologically or physically, it doesn't mean that you can't contribute to society. You are not broken because you got injured."
"I wanted to show that to the civilian populous as well because there seems to be a common belief that you go to Afghanistan or Iraq and you come back and you can't handle yourself anymore. So I wanted to be an example of somebody who can go over there and be traumatically injured and still contribute to his family and to society. I think that when somebody that may be struggling sees me doing this they might have a better chance or it might be easier for them to envision themselves being able to do it as well.
This is just an extension of that overall mission I started in 2013."
When looking for places to stay in Philadelphia along the Schuylkill River, Rob found a welcoming home at Temple's East Park Canoe House.
"When Rob knew he was coming to Philadelphia he reached out to local veterans and law enforcement to see where he could find a home," said Temple men's crew coach Brian Perkins. "A local officer up in New Hope, who is a Temple alum, reached out to me and obviously I said we would be glad to help."
"When we first contacted Brian Perkins he immediately said yes and he was the first person to offer a place to base out of," said Jones. "It has been great. We have been welcomed here with open arms."
Perkins, who had some of his rowers run part of the course with Rob, is so happy that Temple was able to be a part of this incredible journey.
"It is super inspirational," he said. "Our sport is a tough sport. We ask for a lot of sacrifice. You are not going to have fun in college the way you would if you were not a rower. You have to balance grades and academics. You have to work really hard. It is tough and it is grueling."
"That is nothing compared to the sacrifice that some people are forced to make. That Rob volunteered to join the marines. He went to war for us and paid short of the ultimate sacrifice, but really gave a lot for us. It puts a lot of what we think is hard work, what we think is sacrifice, what we think is pain in perspective when you see somebody do this."
To follow Rob on his incredible journey click here
To donate to his cause click here
That man is Rob Jones, and if you are not inspired by his story you likely do not possess a pulse.
Rob grew up on a farm in the small town (pop. 1,985) of Lovettsville, Va. He graduated from Loudoun Valley High in 2003, and went on to earn his diploma from Virginia Tech ('07). In his junior year at Virginia Tech, he joined the Marine Corps Reserve as a combat engineer with Bravo Company, 4th Combat Engineer Battalion based in Roanoke, Va.
During his second deployment (first was in 2008 to Iraq) to Afghanistan in 2010, he was operating as a part of a push into Taliban territory. There he was tasked with clearing an area with a high likelihood of containing an IED (improvised explosive devices). It was in this capacity that his life would be changed forever.
Rob was wounded in action by a land mine. The injury resulted in a left knee dis-articulation and a right above knee amputation of his legs. This left him as a double amputee.
It was an injury that would normally cripple the spirit as much as the body. That was not the case for this brave young man.
During his recovery at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Rob took up the sport of rowing. Always in search of a challenge, he wanted to be the best at this new sport, and that propelled him to become a Paralympic athlete. In 2012, he competed for the USA team and won a bronze medal in trunk and arms mixed doubles competition.
The following year, Rob took to the road, literally, riding his bike across America. His solo supported bike ride started in Bar Harbor, Maine and ended in Camp Pendleton, Calif. The ride was 5,180 miles long and encompassed a total of 181 days. Over the course of the ride, he and his team raised $126,000 for the Coalition to Salute America's Heroes, the Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund, and Ride 2 Recovery, three charities which aid wounded veterans.
Over the next two years Rob trained to compete in the triathlon. Although he made considerable personal improvement, he was unable to qualify for the 2016 Paralympic Games.
Next up for this amazing young man was a new and even more daunting challenge: 31 marathons, 31 different cities, 31 consecutive days.
His goal is to raise $1,000,000 for wounded veteran charities. As of now, $125,000 has been raised. The charities he is supporting are the Coalition to Salute America's Heroes, the Tunnel to Towers Foundation and the Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund.
"The idea of doing these challenges for myself came about in 2013 originally when I decided to ride my bike across America," explains Jones. "I realized that I needed to be an example for other veterans and show them that just because you come back wounded in some way, either psychologically or physically, it doesn't mean that you can't contribute to society. You are not broken because you got injured."
"I wanted to show that to the civilian populous as well because there seems to be a common belief that you go to Afghanistan or Iraq and you come back and you can't handle yourself anymore. So I wanted to be an example of somebody who can go over there and be traumatically injured and still contribute to his family and to society. I think that when somebody that may be struggling sees me doing this they might have a better chance or it might be easier for them to envision themselves being able to do it as well.
This is just an extension of that overall mission I started in 2013."
When looking for places to stay in Philadelphia along the Schuylkill River, Rob found a welcoming home at Temple's East Park Canoe House.
"When Rob knew he was coming to Philadelphia he reached out to local veterans and law enforcement to see where he could find a home," said Temple men's crew coach Brian Perkins. "A local officer up in New Hope, who is a Temple alum, reached out to me and obviously I said we would be glad to help."
"When we first contacted Brian Perkins he immediately said yes and he was the first person to offer a place to base out of," said Jones. "It has been great. We have been welcomed here with open arms."
Perkins, who had some of his rowers run part of the course with Rob, is so happy that Temple was able to be a part of this incredible journey.
"It is super inspirational," he said. "Our sport is a tough sport. We ask for a lot of sacrifice. You are not going to have fun in college the way you would if you were not a rower. You have to balance grades and academics. You have to work really hard. It is tough and it is grueling."
"That is nothing compared to the sacrifice that some people are forced to make. That Rob volunteered to join the marines. He went to war for us and paid short of the ultimate sacrifice, but really gave a lot for us. It puts a lot of what we think is hard work, what we think is sacrifice, what we think is pain in perspective when you see somebody do this."
To follow Rob on his incredible journey click here
To donate to his cause click here
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