It was three-year-old Maddox Lewis’ first time on a bike Saturday.
He lives with a neurodevelopmental disorder and his mother said cycling wouldn’t be an option for him without the help of a local charity that seeks to make cycling more accessible.
“[I’m] so happy just to be able to see him, that he can be involved in things that other kids can be involved in as well,” said Kiera Lewis. “Our whole family goes out on bikes, so he can be involved with this with our family . .
“It’s amazing that they have an opportunity like this for these kids.”
You can ride 2 is an Edmonton non-profit that lends adaptive bicycles to children with various cycling needs.
In 11 years, the program has grown from two bikes to more than 200. Kids can come in, try the bikes, and find what works best for them before taking one home for the summer.
Karla Millar is a physical therapist and works with You Can Ride 2, helping to match riders with riders.
“A lot of the kids are kids I work with in my regular job,” he said. “I get to see and hear stories about them riding their bikes during the summer and how much fun they have with their friends or things like that, so it’s a great program.”
Ethan Harris, born with a rare genetic disorder that affected his mobility, learned to love cycling with the help of a special bike that offers more support.
“Because he had mobility issues this bike opened up a whole new world of exploration for him,” said his father Tyler Harris. “He loved it. We were out every day.”
“I can’t take him in the garage in the winter because he sees his bike and then we have to fight about how we can’t ride a bike at minus thirty,” he added.
Families must register to reserve a bike, and the program requires a referral from a physical or occupational therapist.
There is a rental fee and deposit, but Millar said the deposit is refundable and parents can choose to pay the rental fee with volunteer hours.
“Most of these bikes, especially the more supportive ones, are millions and thousands of dollars, and so there’s no way most families could afford them,” Millar said. “Then again, as kids grow and no longer fit a smaller size bike, a family doesn’t have to shell out another $5,000.”
While Ethan grew to love his adaptive bike, he outgrew it.
Saturday he tested a new larger bike, while the smaller one was passed on to the first rider Maddox.
To Tyler’s surprise, it was a moment of joy for both boys.
“It went a little better today than I thought it would,” Tyler said. “I thought he was going to be really distracted losing his McQueen bike, but … he was a super happy kid.”
It was also a moment of joy for the parents.
“He just makes it look like he’s everyone else and that’s all we want,” Tyler said. “It doesn’t feel different, but it’s great to see him keep up with his teammates and we’ve all seen his smile, which makes everyone happy wherever we go.”
With files from Amanda Anderson of CTV News Edmonton
