People with disabilities learn to ride bikes
Selena Heffernan used to fall down every time she tried to ride a bike. That’s not the case anymore. Heffernan, 18, of Yuba City is one of more than 30 young people with disabilities who are learning to ride a bike independently this week at the iCan Bike Camp with help from staff members and about 60 volunteers.
“It really felt amazing. It felt like I was flying,” Heffernan said, after successfully riding a bike for the first time.
The recent high school graduate said the camp has built her confidence and that of other participants.
“I love that this camp is helping kids, including myself, that have special needs and feeling like they can do anything,” Heffernan said. “The experience has been very enjoyable and interesting. I just to love how the directors and volunteers helped so many kids build confidence and be able to ride in their own special way and at their own pace.”
Her mother, Donna Van Maanen, also said Heffernan’s confidence is what she noticed most about the experience.
“The biggest transformation is the confidence,” Van Maanen said. “Because she’s not afraid, she has grown in her confidence and now she’s cocky in a wonderful way on the bicycle and the smile on her face tells the whole story.”
Van Maanen said the camp experience will help Heffernan with other aspects in life.
“This will carry her through to a lot of other things because every step of living for her is a huge challenge, so for her to succeed in this gives her the confidence to keep trying the next thing and the next thing and the thing after that,” she said.
Watching Heffernan learn to ride