Earlier this month, just south of Richmond at Pocahontas State Park, innovation gave more than 50 members of Paralyzed Veterans of America the chance to cycle through a wooded trail.
The PVA is a nonprofit organization that supports paralyzed veterans through sporting events, financial support and mentoring. Its mission is to “be a supportive community for capable heroes.”
“It’s life-changing,” said John Arbino, PVA’s adaptive sports program manager. “It gives us a chance to be normal again and get out and do what we used to do. A lot of us were cyclists before whatever put us in the wheelchair.”
Arbino said adaptive cycles are bikes modified with a design to allow people with mobility challenges the ability to ride. Many of the adaptive cycles are paid for through donations from sponsors, while others are loaned to veterans by the Veterans Administration as part of physical therapy. Others simply purchase their own.
“(Adaptive cycles) provide an avenue to get us…
Read the full story from the Washington Business Journal.
