Christian Perez

My name is Christian, and I just want to speak on how MVP has made an impact on my life. MVP has given me a group of people to call family again and give me the unconditional support I need to believe in myself. I truly believe that MVP found me during a time when I most needed it and I didn’t even know it. MVP is like no other VSO out there its uniqueness is the foundation that it builds on through comradery. Throughout my time with MVP, I have built strong interpersonal relationships with my peers and I can call on them anytime I need them, does not have to be at Liberty Performance gym or a Wednesday night.

I have been a part of MVP for over a year now and throughout our huddles I have gained a sense of comfort and belonging something that I have not felt since leaving the service. Every week I look forward to Wednesdays because I know that I can enter that room, and I am safe. I can talk about absolutely anything and I will not be judged instead I get a hand on my shoulder and a “I got your back”.

For so many years I struggled with depression and traumatic experiences in secrecy because I felt so alone and misunderstood. I would drown myself in the gym as this is the only thing I found that would help me manage the dark days. I have physical injuries that have become more and more apparent throughout the years, and I have felt limited and discouraged to what I can do in the gym. MVP was a gateway for me to find myself again not only through the physical fitness portion but to face the internal battles as well. I took it upon myself to utilize every resource I was provided with at MVP through my peers to get healthy both physically and mentally.

One of my biggest accomplishments in 2024 was finally hiking the Grand Canyon from rim-to-rim. With the support of my coaches from QRF and my MVP family I accomplished so much more than just conquering one of the greatest wonders on the world. I took off on a journey to turn my life around. I quit the job that was high paying but made me unhappy because it consumed me and did not give me a sense of purpose. I started working on my VA disability claims and I began to see a therapist. Hiking the Grand Canyon was not only about the physical challenge, but it was also about the mental growth that was occurring within me. The physical part was to prove to myself that regardless of the injuries my body has sustained, I could still do something so incredibly hard because I set my mind to do it. By the time I completed the Grand Canyon I felt like the symbol of resilience and strength. No matter how many times your mind tells you to stop and no more, you continue because you think about the people on the other side, and you just want to make them so proud. But if I’m being entirely honest, I didn’t have to prove anything to anybody other than myself… To others it may just seem like 26 miles of hiking across a canyon but to me every step was a step forward to a new way of living. 26 miles of dark moments, multiple suicide attempts, heartaches and failures all left behind me.

This year, 2025, I’m not limiting myself. I am already training to complete the 2025 Bataan Memorial Death March in New Mexico as an ambassador with the Wounded Warrior Project. I want to show people that regardless of what you’re struggling with both inside and out you can always come out on top and you never have to fight the fight alone.