Wednesday, December 26, 2001
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Wednesday, December 26, 2001 |
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PTC's Sanders has winning in hand
Wayne Sanders, a Peachtree City resident who has become one of the top handcyclists in the nation, has just finished another successful year. After placing third or fourth in most of the races during his first year, Sanders won his division in all nine races, became an athlete representative for the United States Handcycling Federation and traveled to Europe to compete against some of the world's best handcyclists. Handcycles are operated by a hand crank and can reach top speeds of 35 miles per hour, though on level ground they top off at approximately 18 mph. Sanders, 41, injured his spinal cord in 1978. He was a student/cheerleader at Georgia Tech who got hurt before a game between Tech and Duke. He rehabilitated at the Shepherd Center for Spinal Cord Injuries in Atlanta and returned to school soon afterward. Sanders attempted wheelchair racing but has been riding handcycles for about three years. Initially, handcycles gave him a way to get back into shape and have fun with his family. He improved and grew more serious about the sport as he continued to ride. Eventually, his competitive nature came out and he started looking for races to ride in. He found them, raced in them, and wanted to get better and stronger. Sanders rides approximately 100 miles a week, lifts weights at World Gym in Peachtree City and is an advocate of the sport. He and several other riders went to Europe this fall to foster support for the addition of Handcycling as a medal sport in the 2004 Paralympics. "Right now, they are actually trying to take some of the more redundant events out of the Paralympics," said Sanders. "There's a 50-50 chance we'll be in Athens 2004. If not, handcycling will definitely be there in 2008. The question is, will I?" Odds are that he will be. Sanders is very dedicated to the sport. He won a bronze medal in a time trial in the European Disabled Cycling Championships and placed fourth in the road race. The U.S. athletes won five gold medals, four silver medals and 10 bronze medals in Europe, placing second overall. Germany won the most medals in the championships. There were more than just handcyclists at the event. There were amputee riders, cyclists with cerebral palsy and blind riders, who ride tandem with a pilot. "It was amazing over there," remarked Sanders. "Before heading to Switzerland, we raced in Rotterdam. There were 100 handcyclists. In the U.S., we're lucky to get 40." Sanders placed seventh in the race in Rotterdam. Though the sport has become more popular, the races in which Sanders participates in the U.S. aren't swelling with new participants. "A lot of people don't have the support of sponsors and can't travel around the country from race to race," said Sanders. "If they make the race in Chicago, they may not be able to make the race in Austin." Sanders has benefited from the help of several sponsors, including Ravin Homes, ATC Mortgage, Craig Automotive and World Gym. He and USHF officials are hoping to add more regional races. With more races close to home, people will be able to be introduced to the sport and sponsorships and promoters may become more plentiful. The handcycling season is over until the Lance Armstrong Criterium in Austin, Texas in April. Sanders will kick off the season a little earlier with a race in Brooks, Ga. in March. He will attend the races that he has attended the past several years, only this time as a target for all the other racers. In August, Sanders will head to Altenstadt, Germany for the World Disabled Cycling Championships, hoping to contend for a title and improve from his last stint across the pond. For information on handcycling visit the Web site, www.ushf.org. The Shepherd Center has a handcycling club that meets on Saturdays. For information on the club, visit www.shepherd.org.
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