By MICHAEL BOYLAN
mboylan@thecitizennews.com

Twenty-six miles is a long way to go. It is a long distance to run or ride a bicycle, but imagine having to pedal with your hands.

Dwayne Sanders of Peachtree City knows this first hand. He has been riding a handcycle for almost a year now and will show off his riding ability this Saturday in a race in Brooks.

Sanders, currently a chemical engineer, was a cheerleader at Georgia Institute of Technology when he broke his neck in an accident and was paralyzed. He has participated in many wheelchair sports but he wanted to do something more active with his family.

Last year he purchased a handcycle for recreational rides with his wife, Sharon, and his children, Michael and Catherine, and is now interested in racing competitively with the handcycle.

Sanders rides with Fayetteville City Councilman Glenn Brewer, who also will ride in Saturday's race, and Rodney Anderson, a racer from north Georgia who will most likely make the Paralympics in Sydney this summer. The men also hope to have Judge Eric Maxwell out racing with them soon.

Sanders does most of his training on Robinson Road, riding an average of four to five days a week. He will be getting a new handcycle next week, jumping up from a seven-gear cycle to a 27-speed cycle. The new cycle is light and faster and should add some overall speed.

After Saturday's 26-mile exhibition race in Brooks, Sanders plans to head to a 10K Criterion, sponsored by Lance Armstrong in Austin, April 8. He then will race in the annual Twilight Criterion in Athens this May. He plans to race in four more events this year, but is seeking sponsorship to help defray some of the expenses. Currently, Regents Bank, BP and Kaufman Tire have lent their support.

Handcycling has grown exponentially as a sport over the past few years. Just recently, the U.S. Cycling Federation has added handcycling to its rule book, paving the way for handcycle acceptance in many large races. Though there are some racers out there who are largely professional and try to shave seconds off their times, Sanders is still working on shaving off minutes.

“The key for me is to get stronger and more conditioned,” said Sanders. “I enjoy it because it is also a lot of fun.”

Bicycles Unlimited is sponsoring a day of races in and around Brooks this Saturday. The racing will begin in the morning at Brooks Elementary School. The last race, Sanders' race, will begin around 1:30 p.m. If you are interested in sponsoring Sanders or the sport of handcycling, e-mail him at sanders319@mindspring.com.

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