AMHERST, N.Y. (WIVB) — When Tyler Ball was about 7 years old, he got his first handcycle. For Ball, who has spina bifida, the handcycle gave him a chance to get out of his wheelchair and ride around town with his friends.
“It allows me to ride my bike and ride the trails in the park just like my other friends,” Ball said. “It’s really a recreational activity that you can pick up and learn in a few hours and then apply it to going out with family and friends and staying active.”
Thanks to a partnership with Greater Buffalo Adaptive Sports, Ball will have the opportunity to run for Roswell along with 21 other people with disabilities, as this year marks the first time an adaptive handcycle division has been added to the race.
“I’m really excited to be able to ride and represent Greater Buffalo Adaptive Sports for such a great cause,” Ball said. “As people with disabilities, it’s so important to stay active and to continue to build on the abilities we have,” Ball said.
A few days before the race, Greater Buffalo Adaptive Sports helped fit the riders’ handcycles to suit their abilities.
Bud Carpenter, former head athletic trainer for the Buffalo Bills and now a coach and director of Greater Buffalo Adaptive Sports, said the day he put the riders on the handcycles was like Christmas for them.
“The most satisfying thing is seeing the smiles — not just of the people riding bikes, but the smiles of parents watching their child ride a bike for the first time, and being a part of the Ride for Roswell, which means so much to Western New York,” Carpenter said. “It’s like the movie Field of Dreams, they say if you build it, they will come, but with us, you can buy it and get them to join you.”
The handcycles range in price from $5,000 to $12,000 each, and with the support of West Harr, Buffalo Sabres, Highmark, and Dr. Yellamraju Kumar and four students, they were able to secure 10 more handcycles in time for the tour.
“We have about 56 patients with spinal stenosis in our area and through our partnership with the foundation, we have at least 15 to 20 children who would like to participate in Ride for Roswell and make a donation,” said Dr. Kumar of Alden Medical Group.
Dr. Kumar, along with Arjun Pindiprole, Adam Iqbal, Anika Kaur and Sumedha Dondapati, helped raise $15,000 and hope to raise funds for even more handcycles in the future.
“Anyone with any kind of disability or who wants to ride this bike can take comfort in knowing they live in a great city like Buffalo that’s willing to help,” Iqbal said.
“Our long-term goal is to eventually bring handcycling to the community,” said Adam Page, executive director of Greater Buffalo Adaptive Sports, “providing handcycles for rental for people with disabilities, seniors or anyone who can’t ride a regular bike for any reason.”
To learn more about Greater Buffalo Adaptive Sports, all of their programs, and how you can donate to support their work, visit their website here To learn more about Ride for Roswell, visit their website here
Hope Winter is a reporter and multimedia journalist who has been part of the News 4 team since 2021. Find out more about her work here..
