‘You guys have literally saved my life’: WWP, Harley-Davidson give local veteran new motorcycle

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A brand new ride rolled in for a local Army veteran Wednesday morning.

For his service on and off the battlefield, Wounded Warrior Project teamed up with Harley-Davidson to give Brian Critton, who goes by “Amarok,” a motorcycle, from the new G.I. Enthusiast Collection.

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“I’ve always loved Harleys,” Amarok said. “I grew up loving them but never once in my life pictured owning one, especially a new one,” Amarok said.

The husband and father of four served for a decade in the U.S. Army including a tour in Iraq in 2004 and has been a part of Wounded Warrior Project ever since.

“It’s very important for veterans to stick together,” Amarok said.

In March, he was riding a Harley-Davidson bike when he witnessed a fiery car crash and pulled a woman from a burning vehicle.

Read: ‘Thank you from the bottom of our hearts’: New roof given to family of deceased Duval veteran

Amarok is a big advocate for veterans’ mental health.

He inspires people all over the world with more than 180,000 followers on TikTok.

Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Mike Linnington is the CEO of Wounded Warrior Project.

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“His platform is to raise awareness for the challenges of combat and to raise awareness for people who are suffering from the invisible wounds of war,” Linnington said.

Amarok’s story is a reminder that help is out there.

“Letting others know they are not alone,” Amarok said. “I’ll cry. You’ll see me break down. You’ll see me be angry -- and I want those people who have experienced those feelings as well to know that they’re not crazy and it’s okay to have emotions. It’s okay to cry. It’s okay to break down.”

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According to WWP’s Annual Warrior Survey, nearly 1 in 4 WWP warriors have had suicidal thoughts in the past 12 months. Of the warriors who reported these suicidal thoughts, most (70%) had them in the last two weeks.

Amarok expressed his gratitude for the support of Wounded Warrior Project over the years.

“You guys have literally saved my life,” Amarok said.

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