RICHMOND, Va. -- An Army veteran from New York is continuing a roughly 4,000-mile round trip up and down the Eastern seaboard to raise awareness for veterans' struggles and help them get what he's gotten to deal with his - a service dog.
"I know it's crazy. But knowing what I know about veterans and what they need for services, that had to be crazy to get this kind of exposure," Jimmy Thomas said.
The journey started when Thomas was dealing with stress-induced seizures.
"During that time period where you couldn't drive, you couldn't go to work," Thomas said.
The remedy came in the form of his service dog Boots. While Thomas got him for free, they can cost in the tens of thousands and many veterans aren't as lucky as he is.
"I said, well, I gotta make some changes here. And I'm going to help others to have access to service dogs like I had," Thomas said.
Having done cross-country rides before, Thomas decided to launch Doggie Paddle for Veterans along with his rotary club to make the 4,000-mile journey from New York to Key West. He's spent the journey not only cycling but also kayaking.
"The weather changes in a minute and you're in nice water and it's nice and sunny and the forecast is great. And then the next thing you know, it's 20, 30 miles an hour winds and you're in the middle of a storm," Thomas said.
Thomas added while he's also gotten to see the beauty of the East Coast, the best part of his trips is the friendships he's made along the way.
Along with camping, Thomas has stayed at the homes of fellow Rotarians like Paul Neumann in Chesterfield, a stay that led to a connection that's almost as full circle as his trip.
"Every one of us at some point in our lives is going to have that, it's a small world moment. But this one really just blew me away," Neumann said.
Neumann's father was not also a veteran but was a member of the same Rotary club in upstate New York that Thomas belonged.
"I really feel like my dad in a way was just once again knocking me on the head to pay attention," Neumann said.
Neumann said Thomas' trip has shown him the importance of paying attention to the connections in one's life and service to others.
"The work that Jimmy is doing with Doggy Paddle is just a perfect example of the rotary motto of service above self," Neumann said.
Thomas adds that while the journey has been tough at times, the reason why is more than enough to keep going.
"I know what they go on a daily basis. However much pain I'm in isn't anything that they go through," Thomas said.
Thomas said he plans to get back home to New York by February 4 at 2 p.m.
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