Kym Mcnicholas On Innovation

This week, we're featuring someone whose impact on veterans' health spans nearly two decades — John Wordin, a visionary who has transformed how our nation supports wounded warriors, trauma survivors, and veterans living with diabetes, PTSD, and mobility challenges. Wordin's work has been nothing short of groundbreaking. He created Ride 2 Recovery (now Project Hero), helped build more than 300 custom adaptive bikes for injured servicemembers, designed the DoD's Warrior Games, and has personally supported tens of thousands of veterans in their journeys toward physical and emotional recovery. His programs have consistently shown something too often overlooked in traditional care: movement, community, and purpose can change the trajectory of chronic disease, including diabetes — with many veterans reducing or even coming off insulin through structured support and lifestyle change. Recently recognized with the American Exceptionalism Award, Wordin brings a rare combination of innovation, grit, and humanity that ha