For over 17 years, John Wordin has been pioneering innovative approaches to mental, physical, and emotional wellness, with a particular focus on helping veterans and first responders. His journey began as a college football player at Cal State Northridge, where he earned his B.S. in Finance and learned firsthand the importance of mental resilience in athletic performance. His path led him to professional cycling, where he earned a Bronze medal in the 1989 US National Championships and participated in three US Olympic Trials. John's natural leadership abilities emerged as he created the Mercury Cycling Professional Team, building a powerhouse that earned seven consecutive VeloNews North American Team of the Year awards. John has also been nominated to be in the US Bicycling Hall of Fame.
After retiring from racing, John was approached to create a community event focused on kids' fitness. The program grew into the Kids Fitness Challenge, engaging 10,000 participants at its annual Rose Bowl Event. This success caught the attention of Palo Alto Veterans Affairs, who saw potential in using cycling to prevent suicide among disabled veterans. This invitation came at a profound moment in John's life – having recently lost his first son, he found purpose in channeling his grief into helping others find hope through cycling, just as the sport had been transformative in his own life.
John's dedication to ensuring no veteran was left behind led to groundbreaking innovations in adaptive cycling. He designed and built customized bikes for every type of disability – from specialized tandems that allowed blind veterans to experience the freedom of cycling, to unique adaptations for amputees and other physical challenges. His belief was simple yet powerful: everyone deserves the opportunity to experience the physical and mental benefits of cycling, regardless of their disabilities.
Through this work, John became deeply immersed in veteran suicide prevention, forming meaningful connections with service members who were fighting their own battles off the battlefield. His expertise in this area led to his active involvement in successful DoD and VA suicide prevention initiatives. In 2015, under Secretary McDonald's leadership at the VA, John's organization Life Aid became one of the first Veteran Service Organization partnerships to implement a comprehensive approach combining peer support, technology, functional medicine, and community activation.
He went on to create the DoD Warrior Games and develop comprehensive mental and physical rehabilitation programs for Military and First Responders. His initiatives grew to include the No Vet Alone Suicide Prevention Program, Project Hero, Ride 2 Recovery, and LifeAid Research Institute. Before developing LifeScore, John created HeroTrak, an innovative app that functioned as a PTSD alarm system with integrated whole health monitoring and peer support components. This experience taught him the value of simplification – he discovered that a more holistic approach using a straightforward scoring system could deliver more actionable information to users.
The tragic loss of his good friend Clay Hunt, a Marine veteran, became a turning point in John's mission. Clay's passing crystallized his determination to create a comprehensive tool that could help prevent suicide by addressing the whole person, not just individual symptoms. Collaborating with an outstanding team of medical professionals, researchers, and wellness experts, John transformed these insights into LifeScore - an app that helps users track and improve all aspects of their wellbeing while providing crucial support for those who need it most. "We envision LifeScore becoming a comprehensive wellness ecosystem that sets the standard for preventative wellness and suicide prevention across military, healthcare, and civilian sectors. Our goal is to help millions track and improve their whole-health journey, while providing crucial support when they need it most - all while maintaining our ironclad commitment to privacy."
