MORGANTOWN—Master Sergeant Michael Cochran with the West Virginia Army National Guard believes if he can bring any amount of awareness to sexual abuse, he can make a difference in the lives of other survivors.
That was his goal when he started Cycling Out Sexual Assault, an annual five-day event where participants travel more than 250 miles from Pittsburgh to Washington, D.C., by bicycle.
“A lot of people who get wounded — they want to be healers afterwards,” Cochran said. “And I don’t think I was any different.”
Cochran was a child when he became a survivor of sexual abuse, but it wasn’t until he was about 40 years old he told someone about it for the first time. By telling his own story, he hopes to inspire people to help others.
Chad Stiles, Sexual Assault Response Coordinator for the DC National Guard, will participate in the cycling event for the first time this year. He said he is looking forward to the camaraderie of cycling alongside survivors and fellow victim advocates.
“[Cochran’s] work with the cycling has been incredible,” Stiles said. “He did this all on his own, set it up all on his own and his work with it has been incredible throughout each year that he’s done this.”
Hosting Cycling Out Sexual Assault is just one outlet Cochran has used to bring awareness and help others. As a credentialed sexual assault victim advocate with the West Virginia Army National Guard, Cochran uses his own experience to educate and help others heal.
“The first time I was in the military was between ‘80 and ‘85, and those kinds of positions didn’t exist,” Cochran said. “So, when I found out they had them, I volunteered for all of them.”
At 19, Cochran served abroad for several years, but eventually moved on to work as a state trooper and later owned a masonry company. As he got older, he decided to work as a teacher in an alcohol and drug rehabilitation center for teenagers.
While bringing two of his students to take the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery test, he was asked if he had any interest in returning to the military.
“Three months later, I re-enlisted,” he said. “I knew I had to do it.”
After learning about victim advocate trainings offered by the military, he began attending as many as he could. He became a credentialed advocate to help other military personnel learn about sexual assault as well as help those who may be victims.
It wasn’t until he decided to go off-script while leading a training session that he learned the power of sharing his own story. Rather than reading directly off a PowerPoint like he had always done, he decided to connect the training session to his own experience.
After the training, he was approached by someone in attendance who told him he had a similar past as Cochran.
“I’d never had that happen before,” Cochran said. “For him to just be able to get the weight off his shoulders was huge.”
Cochran said about 10 people are planning to participate in the cycling event with him this year. During this year’s annual ride, Cochran plans to stop in Ohiopyle, Pennsylvania, Cumberland, Maryland, Hancock, Maryland, and Harpers Ferry, West Virginia along the way.
The ride will be held from May 20-24 and those interested in participating can email Cochran at mucochran@gmail.com.
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