Check Out Jacob Cruz-Ratliff ’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jacob Cruz-Ratliff.

Hi Jacob, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself
Expeditionary Veterans Association (EVA) was started in April 2015 to assist Veterans and active-duty military personnel that have PTSD and to assist them in organized outdoor types of activities with other Veterans and military that suffer from PTSD. Two times a week, year round, we host mountain bike trips in hopes to help our clientele adjust back into society to include making new friendships as they once did while serving in the military.

We hope that our organization can provide a better way of life for them. As for now the County of San Diego, CA and County of Riverside, CA is where EVA is currently located. We hope to spread to other regions in California within the coming years.

The majority of our therapy rides are exploring XC, All-Mountain, and Enduro/DH type trails, but we also have members that have become EVA ambassadors and racing many times a year in SoCal Enduro Races, Big Bear-Snow Summit DH Races, Vail Lake Enduro Races, and Mammoth Mountain DH Races and of course local races. All of which we are proud of backing them and the majority of them never use to mountain bike before joining Team EVA and now are amateur racing.

On April 2021, we made progress by purchasing a brand 2019 Ram 1500, which will help stack-up more Vets to transport with their gear and take to rides with us to our recreational therapeutic activities. This truck picks up EVA members and is loaded with bikes to be taken out to EVA recreational therapy treatment sessions all over Southern California. In mid-2020 we started providing more ebikes/emtb’s for our member as we know how hard it is to enjoy a ride with their disabilities hindering the full enjoyment and performance of mountain-biking. Considering in this day and age, ebikes/emtb’s are being more and more used on trails and more are seeing the benefits of one.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Starting an organization from scratch is always a challenge, but with the help of local and corporate bike sponsors, we are able to provide all the necessary gear and necessities needed to be able to conduct our weekly therapy sessions. As the years have gone by, our organization has grown tremendously and all because the word or mouth from people and other businesses that see the legitimacy of our organization, which has helped support our cause.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
In my personal profession, I have worked as a federal civil servant for 18+ years and I am also a Master Freemason with Temecula Catalina Island Lodge #524.

I come from a long history of military in my family, whom are very educated and successful in life. Everything that I’ve learned and experienced in life has brought me to the point of always putting other’s needs, before my own and that I should always do my best to keep positive, regardless of the rough roads ahead.

If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
Being able to communicate with others well. Keeping a level head and to always think clearly. Having the ability to bring others from different backgrounds together to establish a strong camaraderie.

Contact Info:

• Email: evamtbforptsd@gmail.com
• Website: http://expeditionaryveter.wix.com/mtbforptsd
• Instagram: @eva_mtb_for_ptsd
• Facebook: http://facebook.com/ExpeditionaryVeteransAssociation
• Youtube: http://youtube.com/c/ExpeditionaryVeteransAssociation
• Other: https://gofund.me/ced65d6f