Handcycling

By Tom Proszowski

If you are a regular reader of Abilities magazine, you probably know some of my handcycling story. You will recall the article in the fall 2006 issue where I wrote about my introduction to the sport and about my cycling vacation in Hawaii. Or you may remember my second published accounting of the cycling adventure in New Zealand last year, December 2008 issue. In either case, I have been cycling close to home and in a few far-off places for more than five years now and my enjoyment of the sport just keeps on growing. Whether it's a Sunday morning run along Lake Ontario for a coffee on our favourite patio in Oakville or a fully supported multi-day excursion in another country, I truly enjoy the challenge and the exercise of cycling with my wife and our friends. My disability, T5/6 paraplegia, is only a minor inconvenience when I strap myself in the saddle of Freedomryder LC1 handcycle. Yes, two wheelers who use their legs for power still leave me behind, especially when using high-tech sport bikes, but soon enough I arrive at the same destination and we all share the same exhaustion when struggling to climb a challenging hill or the exhilaration of a fast descent. Handcycling to me is another example of the fact that my disability is just another way of living rather than a reminder of inability.
If you are a person with a disability who also enjoys this wonderful sport or just someone who is interested in learning more about your possibilities, please join me in this blog and perhaps we can both benefit from each other's perspectives.