Members of Handcycling Victoria travelled from Orbost to Melbourne via Cranbourne and Tooradin.By Melissa Meehan
THE event’s not as long as its famous French counterpart, but competitors in last month’s Le Tour Handcycle still managed to cover about 500 kilometres in more than five days.
Paraplegics to amputees took part in the ride to meet with community members to encourage them to become active.
With all bikes pedalled by hand, Le Tour travelled from Orbost to Melbourne via Tooradin and Cranbourne to meet Minister for Sport and Recreation James Merlino at Docklands late last month.
Wheelchair Sports Victoria sport development officer Simon Gray said the aim of the tour was to help those in rural areas become more physically active while showing children there was no boundary to real disability.
“The participants met with schoolchildren and community organisations along the way promoting the get active message,” he said.
Mr Gray said it was important for members of the community to understand the importance of an active lifestyle, but said the tour also gave participants the opportunity to speak to people about their disabilities.
After the inclusion of handcycling at the 2004 Athens Paralympics, Victoria’s own Handcycling Club was established.
In early 2006, with the guidance of the Royal Talbot Spinal Unit and Wheelchair Sports Victoria, a select group of people with varying disabilities formed the Australian Cycling Federation Club, Handcycling Victoria.
