If you’re a fan of mountain biking, you understand the feeling of zoning out on a ride. Whether you’re taking on a steep climb, navigating technical trails, or bombing down hill, there’s little room for distractions. Between the adrenaline and line strategy, the dialed-in focus and energy you feel is both healing and invigorating.
This feeling is what inspired veteran Jonathan Hagerman to create The Dirt Therapy Project (TDTP).
Originally from Utah, Hagerman grew up during the freeride explosion. Saving money for a Kona Stinky with a paper route, he had dreams of becoming the next Wade Simmons or Kyle Strait. But shortly after graduating from high school, Hagerman enlisted in the Marines.
Hagerman went to boot camp in 2009, and ended up in Southern California working as a utility engineer. By September 2010, he deployed to the Sangin District of Helmand Province in Afghanistan.
"Our time in Sangin is considered one of the most devastating deployments for the Marine Corps since the Vietnam Conflict," he shared. "In four-and-a-half months, the Third Battalion, Fifth Marines suffered immense loss. At 22, I had accepted the fact that I might not return home."
While the Veteran experience is both broad and unfathomable, there is a unified camaraderie they all find together. A shared bond and understanding that is difficult to find outside of their unit.
“You don’t realize the gravity of what’s happening while you’re in it,” he explains. “The mission goes on; you have to compartmentalize. Coming home, I struggled with this unresolved trauma exposure.”
After completing his active military service, Hagerman enrolled at the University of Texas at San Antonio, where he completed an undergraduate degree as well as an MBA. It was during this time that TDTP came to life.
“I was a combat Veteran in grad school working at a Fortune 100 financial institution. It had been ten years since I had ridden a bike, but I found an old Kona on Facebook Marketplace and started riding as much as I could. I fell in love with the sport and noticed the impact it was having on my life; both the adrenaline–which is great for military personnel–and as a stress reducer. When you’re in it, you can't think of anything outside of what's in front of you.”
At this time, Hagerman had been out of active service for five years. His rediscovery of mountain biking–coupled with having a recently retired Marine Lt. Col on his team at work–gave him the space and opportunity to dream up what eventually became TDTP.
“When I started it, I had no intention of it becoming what it is. I thought a few folks would get together to ride bikes and we’d fundraise to offer a few bikes. A year into it, I realized it was more than people wanting to be on a mountain bike; it was people seeking a community and a sense of belonging.”
Hagerman hosted the first Dirt Therapy retreat in 2019 with a road trip to Bentonville. Hagerman, Kevin "Sport" Guiler, and Simon Garcia spent a few days exploring NWA trails. A few years later, the program returned with a group of 25 and met University of Health and Performance (UHP) Founder and CEO, Matt Hesse.
“We ran into Matt at COLER in 2022. He saw us cooling off in the creek and asked if we were a group of Veterans. We stayed in contact, and in 2023, I flew out to meet with Matt about UHP. During that visit, he encouraged me to move TDTP to Bentonville and connected me with the Veterans Future Foundation (VFF).”
Hagerman took a position as VFF’s Director of Operations, merging TDTP with VFF. Today TDTP operates as a program of VFF, with Hagerman as its Executive Director. He explains that VFF exists to support graduates of UHP–a transformative experience that empowers Veterans to rediscover their purpose and forge a new path beyond military service. With this merger, the TDTP community now has access to many of the resources available through UHP and VFF.
In addition to monthly group rides and seasonal retreats, TDTP is working with groups like the American Alpine Club to draft legislation that would include seasonal coaching in the GI Bill. This would allow Veterans to use the GI Bill to become certified mountain bike or ski instructors.
"We are very fortunate that the people who are attracted to TDTP are all excellent caliber human beings," Hagerman says. "I get to benefit from that community and fill my cup with like-minded individuals. By widening our offerings, we can get more folks outside to discover their own path to healing."