SAN FRANCISCO, May 25, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- For two months beginning May 28, 14 disabled veterans will cross America by bicycle, hand cycle and recumbent, learning about the country for which they stood tall to defend. Meeting Americans of all walks of life in 14 states and the District of Columbia as they cross through cities both large and small, World T.E.A.M. Sports' Sea to Shining Sea team is undertaking a life-changing challenge that will stay with them for the remainder of their lives.

Presented by State Farm, the 2012 Sea to Shining Sea ride brings together veterans from all branches of military service for the nearly 4,000 mile cross-country ride. These wounded warriors participated in wars and conflicts from Vietnam to Bosnia to the Gulf War to Afghanistan and Iraq. Through their service, many of these veterans received injuries ranging from amputations to blindness to Post Traumatic Stress. Others experienced life-threatening illnesses such as cancer.

With strong corporate and private support, the team will cycle together across deserts, mountains, grasslands, cities and woodlands as they see America at ten miles an hour. Like their forefathers who crossed the continent before the transcontinental railroad, automobiles and airplanes, these veterans will experience America minute by minute, mile by mile. Leaving San Francisco on Memorial Day morning, the team will arrive in St. Louis in time for the city's Independence Day celebration, and then reach the east coast of Virginia by July 28. Through the miles, the team will bond together, as will the thousands of Americans who will follow the ride's progress online and in person along the route.

The 2012 Sea to Shining Sea ride is supported through generous sponsorships by State Farm, American Portfolios, MWV, Dominion, the Semper Fi Foundation, the USO, BNY – Mellon, General Electric, GM Fleet and Commercial, Brown Shoe Company and Famous Footwear, Energizer Holdings, Altria, EnerSys, Occidental Petroleum, Magaschoni Apparel, Penske Truck Rental, AR Capital, Vedder Price, the El Pomar Foundation and George Puskar.

For further information about the Sea to Shining Sea ride or to track the riders' progress, visit the official ride website at http://s2ssbikeride.org/. To tweet your message of support for the riders, use #S2SSbike.

SOURCE World T.E.A.M. Sports