Local handcyclist takes on first Tour Durban
A Winston Park dad will tick an item off his bucket list when he competes in the Tour Durban with his nine-year-old son.
HANDCYCLIST, Oliver Sinclair, who has Multiple Sclerosis, will tick an item off of his bucket list when he starts his first aQuellé Tour Durban with his nine-year-old son, Tyler, at the Moses Mabhida Stadium on Sunday, 28 April.
He was diagnosed with MS 15 years ago and said he has waited nine years for the opportunity to race alongside his son.
Bridge Fund Managers cover the entry fees for all handcyclists and also offers prizes for the leading handcyclists in the 45km race.
“I am not a contender,” said the Winston Park resident. “I am just grateful for the opportunity to be out there on the road with my family and friends, and to feel the sun on my face and the wind in my hair.”
Handcycling has provided Oliver with the opportunity to be involved in sports and not just watch from the sidelines.
“Living with MS, it is important to be active so that I slow down the deterioration as much as possible. Handcycling gives me that opportunity,” he said.
His road to handcycling began when he started training with a biokineticist.
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“My condition had deteriorated to such an extent that I could only walk 100 metres,” he said. “At the same time my wife began running. When she ran her first half marathon I was at the finish line and promised I would run a half marathon with her. That was in 2013 and last year we travelled to Victoria Falls and I handcycled my first half marathon with Michelle.”
Sporting a black and white ‘cow hide’, Oliver will be easy to spot on race day as he is a supporter of The Cows, whose mission is to make a difference to children with cancer and their families by raising money for the Childhood Cancer Foundation SA (CHOC).
“Just over three years ago I underwent a stem cell transplant, involving one week of high-dose chemotherapy.
“What got me through those long weeks was the thought that children go through this treatment, some just a few years old. So when I heard of CHOC and what they do, it was just a matter of joining the dots. No child should go through that, and if I can make their lives a little more comfortable, then I will try,” he said.
Ari Seirlis, CEO of the QuadPara Association of South Africa, welcomed the news that Bridge Fund Managers will cover the entry fee for handcyclists.
“Handcycling is a very popular sport among quadriplegics and paraplegics and fits in appropriately with a mainstream cycling event such as Tour Durban,” said Ari.
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