We are our stories
LOCAL STORIES
Our work at the San Antonio Story Collaborative is to gather, honor and publicly share the stories of our community as we build compassion, create community, reduce isolation, and empower individuals and families. Storytelling has the power to transform both story sharers and listeners. We hope to re-shape the narrative of what San Antonio IS and what it can BECOME.
Pedal Guerrero by Joseph Leon
I served in the US Army for 30 years; service took a toll on my body. I am a disabled veteran, and with neck and back issues, bike riding was painful. I was an avid cyclist for many years but had to give it up until the local VA Hospital, Audie Murphy, hosted an Adaptive Cycling clinic with Operation Comfort, a local nonprofit that helps veterans with adaptive cycling and adaptive sled hockey. This is where I found recumbents and began to ride, race, and compete. The vast San Antonio trails gave me the freedom to cycle safely as I began my new journey.
As my health and my mindset began to improve, I rode more and more and began to think about all the local veterans and the San Antonio community that didn’t have access to these recumbents or handcycles locally. In 2018 I began the dream of providing everyone in the community the freedom that cycling provides and opened Pedal Guerrero in March of 2019 as San Antonio’s only dedicated recumbent and handcycle specialty shop. My passion is to enable everyone the freedom to cycle, enjoy nature and spend time with their family.
I am on the trails again on most Wednesdays enjoying cycling and nature. My wife even gave up her road bike for the comfort of a recumbent and rides with me. Cycling outdoors provides us a Zen environment to spend time together and clear our minds for tomorrow’s challenges. Cycling provides us both mental and physical rehabilitation.
The name Pedal Guerrero translates to Pedal Warrior; since San Antonio has a history of English and Spanish, we decided to use both. The sugar skull is celebrated locally so we used that in our logo along with the Spanish conquistador helmet from my family heritage in Spain.
Helping each rider find the perfect fit makes me happy, and being able to repair, maintain and sell recumbents and handcycles to veterans and others who need them makes me proud, knowing I am filling a need for someone like me.