The event is part of a series of awareness programmes by the Aditya Mehta Foundation that works towards helping those with disabilities to pursue the sport of their choice
When Devarshi Patel and Haresh Chaudhary get on their respective bicycles on Wednesday, they will be creating a record of sorts, at least for the state. The Class 12 students of the Blind People's Association (BPA) may be the first visually impaired persons to ride a bicycle in the state.
The two will be participating in a run, which will start from Sindhu Bhavan road and end at Science City, covering at least 12 kilometres in all. They will be accompanied by members of the Indian Para-Cycling team as well as the Ahmedabad Bicycle Club members.
The event is part of a series of awareness programmes by the Aditya Mehta Foundation that works towards helping those with disabilities to pursue the sport of their choice.
"I learned to ride a bicycle when I was very young. Initially, I rode a tricycle and then a bicycle with training wheels. One day, the training wheels broke and my father said I will simply have to make do without them. That's how I learned how to ride a bicycle without my training wheels," said Patel.
He said he has never ridden a bicycle on a road before. "I can make out shapes of big objects but a road can be very dangerous with traffic and all, so I usually ride the bicycle only in the area around my apartment," said Patel. Both Patel and Chaudhary were trained at Riverfront for the event scheduled for Wednesday.
"The cycle I will be riding is a bit different. It is called a tandem cycle, where a person with sight will be in charge of steering and I will be pedalling along with him. The cycle can seat two people with the visually-impaired person in the backseat," said Patel. He said that it does not mean the work of the visually-impaired person becomes easy. "You have to learn to understand what your partner is doing. When to brake, when to pedal faster, when to go slow etc etc. It was a wonderful experience for me," said Patel who decided to train for it even though it was his summer vacation.
However, Chaudhary, who has only 25 per cent vision, said he has been on a highway with a bicycle.
Interestingly, tandem cycling, he says, is just a bit different from what he already knows. "Initially, when I learned to cycle, my cousin would be on the riding seat and I would be on the carrier seat, but it was I who would peddle and not my cousin. Then as I gained confidence, I would ride and my cousin would be in the carrier seat telling me of the roadblocks ahead. So for me, tandem cycling is just a bit different as in this both the people use different pedals," said Chaudhary.
IN A FIRST...
The Class 12 students of the Blind People’s Association (BPA) may be the first visually-impaired persons to ride a bicycle in the state
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Devarshi Patel and (right) Haresh Chaudhary")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}