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Veteran cyclist sees support near end of cross-country trek

Published 10:30 pm Tuesday, August 4, 2026

By Matthew Nash Sequim Gazette

Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash/ Locals greet US Army veteran Patrick Smith on Monday, Aug. 3, at the Sequim Visitor Information Center. Smith rode his bike from Washington, D.C. as part of the Warrior Bike program that offers support through the expedition for veterans. He finished his journey on Aug. 4 in La Push. Some of the supporting groups on hand included the Peninsula Trails Coalition, Military Officer’s Association of America Olympic Peninsula Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution New Dungeness Chapter, Sequim-Dungeness Valley Chamber of Commerce, and the Sequim Wheelers.
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Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash/ Locals greet US Army veteran Patrick Smith on Monday, Aug. 3, at the Sequim Visitor Information Center. Smith rode his bike from Washington, D.C. as part of the Warrior Bike program that offers support through the expedition for veterans. He finished his journey on Aug. 4 in La Push. Some of the supporting groups on hand included the Peninsula Trails Coalition, Military Officer’s Association of America Olympic Peninsula Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution New Dungeness Chapter, Sequim-Dungeness Valley Chamber of Commerce, and the Sequim Wheelers.

Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash/ Locals greet US Army veteran Patrick Smith on Monday, Aug. 3, at the Sequim Visitor Information Center. Smith rode his bike from Washington, D.C. as part of the Warrior Bike program that offers support through the expedition for veterans. He finished his journey on Aug. 4 in La Push. Some of the supporting groups on hand included the Peninsula Trails Coalition, Military Officer’s Association of America Olympic Peninsula Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution New Dungeness Chapter, Sequim-Dungeness Valley Chamber of Commerce, and the Sequim Wheelers.
Seren McClurken, a trail ambassador with the Peninsula Trails Coalition, watches as US Army veteran Patrick Smith of Florida rides his bike along the Olympic Discovery Trail on Monday, Aug. 3. He was set to ride for 74 days from Washington, D.C. to La Push, and stopped in Sequim on day 73.
Sequim Gazette photos by Matthew Nash Patrick Smith of Florida greets local supporters of his Warrior Bike ride on Aug. 3. He’s gone along the Great American Rail-Trail starting in Washington, D.C. and was set to finish on Aug. 4 in La Push.
Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash/ Patrick Smith of Florida greets Peninsula Trail Coalition trail ambassadors, including Ashton Reichner, on Aug. 3.
Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash/ Patrick Smith of Florida greets local supporters of his Warrior Bike ride on Aug. 3. He’s gone along the Great American Rail-Trail starting in Washington, D.C. and was set to finish on Aug. 4 in La Push.
Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash/ Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash/ Patrick Smith of Florida greets Peninsula Trail Coalition trail ambassadors on Aug. 3.

US Army veteran Patrick Smith found a welcome party for him in Sequim on the second to last day of his 74-day journey cycling across the country.

More than a dozen locals greeted him outside the Sequim Visitor Information Center as he rode along the Olympic Discovery Trail on Monday, Aug. 3.

He’s the first of four veterans set to ride through Sequim participating in the Warrior Bike program through Warrior Expeditions where veterans ride the 3,700-mile Great American Rail-Trail from Washington, D.C. to La Push to help them process their military experiences.

Smith, an Army veteran from 1992-2017, was deployed to Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan. He was set to finish the ride in La Push on Tuesday, Aug. 4.

“The healing has been great and interacting with so many people from different walks of life,” he said.

“Experiencing the country at 13 miles an hour, you can see things you miss while in a car.”

The Peninsula Trails Coalition and the Military Officer’s Association of America Olympic Peninsula Chapter have been involved with the program since its inception helping veterans with lodging, meals, and other support. Daryl Knuth with MOAA said seeing the veterans come this far is inspiring.

“I was in the Air Force for 21 years and to get out here on a beautiful day and support these guys is very meaningful,” he said.

Knuth estimates they’ve helped about 40 veterans, and they’ll support the other three riders anticipated to come through Sequim next week and later in the month.

Smith said he’ll fly home to Florida on Aug. 6 and resume working at a bike shop and serving as a volunteer surveying sea turtle nesting.

For more information about the program, visit warriorexpeditions.org.

To support future riders in Sequim, call Daryl Knuth at 301-233-7147.

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