When James Line rolls out before dawn on 27 July to ride 160 kilometres across Adelaide, he won’t just be testing his endurance. He’ll be marking how far he’s come since leaving the Australian Army – and raising funds to help other veterans find their own way forward.
James served for almost 10 years, joining the Army at 18 after losing his father as a teenager. He still remembers sitting beside him watching Defence Force recruitment advertisements on television and listening to stories about the SAS and military service.
‘When I turned 18, another ad came on and I just knew I needed to join,’ James says.
‘It was something I’d always wanted to do.’
His military career took him to Iraq as a radar operator before later deploying to Afghanistan as a geospatial intelligence analyst supporting unmanned aerial vehicle operations. He describes his service as one of the best experiences of his life.
‘I wanted great mates, I wanted to do things nobody else could do and I wanted to travel. I got all of that.’
After returning from Afghanistan, however, the transition out of the Army proved more difficult than he expected.
‘It wasn’t really until I left that I realised I was carrying a lot of stress,’ he says.
‘I spent years trying to find purpose.’
James eventually rejoined the Army, but persistent knee and back injuries resulted in a medical discharge in 2018. Suddenly, the career that had shaped his adult life was over.
At the time, even everyday tasks were a challenge.
‘I couldn’t do a bodyweight squat. I could barely do a push-up,’ he says.
‘Holding my daughter for more than five or 10 minutes was painful.’
Like many veterans, James found that rebuilding his life took longer than he had imagined. There wasn’t a single turning point. Instead, it came through years of rehabilitation, self-reflection and gradually changing the way he viewed his own limitations.
‘I thought because I was medically discharged, I couldn’t do hard things anymore,’ he says.
‘Looking back, I was holding myself back mentally.’
Cycling became part of that process almost by accident. While recovering from a running injury, James jumped on his bike to maintain his fitness and quickly realised he had found something he loved. Today, he regularly rides up to 70 kilometres during training and is preparing to complete the equivalent of a cycling marathon in support of Soldier On.
The organisation holds a special place in his own transition.
After attending a Soldier On networking event, James met a veteran working in cyber security who introduced him to an internship opportunity. That experience became the starting point for a new career in the industry.
‘That was my first real transition point into cyber security,’ he says.
‘I’ve always remembered that.’
Choosing Soldier On as the beneficiary of his fundraising ride was an easy decision.
His original fundraising goal of $2,000 was reached within days, with supporters continuing to rally behind the challenge. But James says the money is only part of the reason he’s taking on the ride.
‘If I can help one other veteran realise they can still achieve things they didn’t think were possible, then it’s worth it,’ he says.
‘I know how long it took me to change my own mindset. If someone else can get there a little sooner because they’ve seen what’s possible, that’s a pretty good outcome.’
James already has plans for future endurance rides, but for now his focus is on the 160 kilometres ahead.
For him, it’s not about setting the fastest time or proving anything to anyone else. It’s about recognising how far he’s come, giving something back to the veteran community and helping ensure other veterans have access to the support they need when military service comes to an end.
To support James’ fundraising ride for Soldier On, visit his fundraising page and help him make every kilometre count.
