When Marine Corps veteran Jonathan Hagerman first turned to a mountain bike after leaving the service, he wasn’t looking for a movement. He was looking for a way to breathe again. Transition had left him restless and disconnected, a familiar story for many veterans. He’d lost the daily structure, the team, the mission. But on a mountain bike, weaving through trees and pushing up steep climbs, he felt something he hadn’t felt in a while: clarity.
That singular experience of a veteran rediscovering himself on a quiet trail became the spark that would grow into The Dirt Therapy Project (TDTP), now one of the most dynamic outdoor-based veteran programs in the country. What began with one Marine and one trail now helps hundreds of veterans reconnect with purpose, community, and their own well-being.
From Afghanistan to the Trail
Hagerman served as a portable power-unit mechanic in the Marine Corps from 2009 to 2013, including a deployment to Afghanistan. When he separated, he stepped into what many veterans describe as the “quiet confusion” of transition — a sense that life is moving on but something essential hasn’t caught up yet.
School helped. Work helped. But neither replaced the internal rhythm of service.
That changed when Hagerman bought a used Kona mountain bike. What started as a casual ride quickly became therapy. Not in a clinical sense, but in a deeply human one. The physical push, the focus on the trail, and the camaraderie of fellow riders recreated the feeling of mission and team he had been missing. Hagerman told Military.com that, "I found such healing in Mountain Biking and outdoor recreation that I wanted to find a way to offer the same relief that I was experiencing to other Veterans. The Dirt Therapy Project was born out of wanting to help others find happiness and relief in the great outdoors."
In 2018, Jonathan and his wife, Alexandria, turned that insight into action and launched The Dirt Therapy Project in Texas. Their goal was simple: give veterans an outlet that didn’t require them to sit in a chair and talk about their struggles, but instead let them work through them on two wheels.
“They don’t have to explain anything on the trail,” Hagerman has said. “They just show up. The rest takes care of itself.”
What TDTP Does — A Community on Wheels
At its core, TDTP is about connection to nature, to movement, to fellow veterans. The program offers free, inclusive mountain-bike experiences for veterans and their families, complete with loaner bikes, helmets, protective equipment, instruction, guided rides, and ongoing mentorship.
Participants come from every branch, every MOS, every age bracket, and every riding ability. First-time riders often show up expecting to struggle, only to discover a community ready to support them — not judge them. Rides are structured to encourage conversation without forcing it, and challenge without overwhelming.
Over the past few years, TDTP has organized dozens of regional rides and special events, including:
- A Veterans Day Ride at Lake Leatherwood in Northwest Arkansas, supported by protective-gear manufacturer D3O. Veterans from multiple states traveled to participate, receiving advanced impact-protection kits and learning riding techniques from experienced mountain bikers.
- Monthly chapter rides across the country, including Texas, Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Maryland, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Utah, and California.
- Outdoor wellness weekends, where rides are paired with cookouts, campfires, and community discussions.
- Trail-maintenance days, allowing veterans to serve together again — not in uniform, but in stewardship of the land and each other.
Every event has the same philosophy: the trail becomes the therapy. The ride becomes the reset. And the community becomes the support system so many veterans lose when they leave the military.
A Strategic Partnership — The Veterans Future Foundation (VFF)
In 2024, TDTP formally merged into the Veterans Future Foundation (VFF), an organization dedicated to strengthening veteran well-being through education, outdoor programming, and resilience-based initiatives.
The partnership amplified TDTP’s reach dramatically. With VFF’s support, TDTP expanded its infrastructure, launched new chapters, and began developing a permanent home base in Northwest Arkansas, one of the most celebrated mountain-biking regions in the United States.
Johnny Martin, National Director of Graduate Performance at VFF, talks about the partnership this way:
"At VFF, we are rooted in the belief that the individual is the expert on themselves. We don't give Veterans a path for their future; we help them build one."
TDTP is an important part of that path.
The UHP Connection — Trails Built for Veterans, on a Campus Built for Veterans
One of the most exciting developments in TDTP’s growth is the construction of more than 15 miles of mountain-bike trails on the 800-acre University of Health & Performance (UHP) campus in Northwest Arkansas.
These aren’t just recreational paths. They are purpose-built veteran wellness trails, designed explicitly to support:
- Skill progression
- Confidence-building
- Team-based rides
- Safe beginner experiences
- Challenge routes for advanced riders
- Group retreats and instruction clinics
The UHP campus, founded and designed by CEO Matt Hesse, gives TDTP something few veteran non-profits have: a permanent home, a dedicated community, and an outdoor training environment integrated into a holistic wellness ecosystem.
Veterans can come to the UHP campus not only to ride but also to attend courses, meet mentors, train, or participate in multi-day experiences that combine physical fitness, mental health tools, and community leadership, all with the trail system running through the heart of the property.
For TDTP, it’s a game-changer.
Why Mountain Biking Works for Veterans
There’s a reason TDTP’s model resonates so strongly.
Mountain biking does three things exceptionally well for people who have worn the uniform:
1. It reintroduces manageable, meaningful stress.
Veterans often miss the physical and mental challenge of service. Mountain biking brings back controlled adversity — a steep climb, a tricky rock garden — and pairs it with accomplishment.
2. It recreates the team.
No one rides alone. Riders help each other up hills, spot obstacles, celebrate victories, and joke through the tough parts. That relational rhythm feels familiar.
3. It builds identity, not just activity.
Veterans learn to call themselves “riders,” “teammates,” and “part of a chapter.” For someone who loses the identity of “soldier” or “Marine” after transition, this matters deeply.
The outdoors also plays a powerful role. Research shows that time in nature reduces stress, improves sleep, and boosts cognitive clarity — all issues commonly cited during transition.
TDTP combines all of that into one satisfying package.
The Future: Scaling a National Movement
With VFF’s backing and UHP’s campus as a long-term home base, TDTP is entering an ambitious growth phase. Plans include:
- Opening new chapters in areas with high veteran populations and strong trail systems.
- Expanding the UHP trail network into a full-service mountain-biking wellness center for veterans.
- Developing certification tracks so experienced veterans can train as TDTP ride leaders and mentors.
- Launching longitudinal research, tracking mental-health, physical-health, and community outcomes for participants.
- Partnering with industry leaders for gear access, sponsorships, and high-quality loaner bikes.
Everything points in one direction: a program that started with one Marine’s need for a reset is becoming a national model for how veterans heal, reconnect, and lead after service.
Jonathan Hagerman talks about The Dirt Therapy Project
How Veterans Can Get Involved
Veterans can join rides through TDTP’s website or through VFF’s program portal. Chapters welcome beginners, and loaner bikes are available. Events typically include instruction, safety briefings, and group support — no pressure, no judgment, and no expectation other than showing up.
The first ride is often the hardest. But it’s usually the ride that changes everything.
Bottom Line
The Dirt Therapy Project isn’t just about mountain biking: It’s about purpose. It’s about community.
It’s about rediscovering the strongest parts of yourself — the ones that service built, but transition can sometimes blur.
Now headquartered on the UHP campus, with trails designed specifically for the veteran community, TDTP is building more than riders. It’s building a movement.
For veterans searching for connection, challenge, and a new mission, the next chapter might just begin on dirt with two wheels, fresh air, and a team waiting at the trailhead.
