Teen set to hit the road
Bike donors to rescue
A GEELONG teen will ride more than 500km from Bright to Benalla on a tandem bike.
Isaac Spain, 13, who lives with autism, has struggled to ride with his family.
Now, thanks to a generous donation from a local cycling group and charity Just4Kids, Isaac will ride the gruelling nine-day Great Victorian Bike Ride on the back of an imported tandem bike with his Dad.
Mum Cassandra said that the family of six first started riding as a way to help Isaac get the physical activity he needed. They quickly found that pedalling was therapeutic and helped their son stay calm.
“It was a great family activity but we were finding that Isaac was not able to keep up and it was becoming frustrating,” Ms Spain said.
Determined to find a way to make the activity work, the family started looking for a tandem bike but quickly discovered they could cost about $10,000 and were not readily available in Australia.
Hendry’s Cycles’ Stephen Draper found a large bike in the US and with a donation from Just4Kids the bike was imported and gifted to Isaac.
Last Friday Isaac jumped on board the bike with his Mum for the first time for a practice cycle along the Barwon River.
“It is great,” Isaac said.
He said riding the bike gave him a feeling of freedom, while Ms Spain is glad her son can now safely and easily participate in a family activity.
The family will take off on their ride on Saturday and return on December 2.