A man by the name of Captain K, friend, activist, cyclist came to Salt Lake City for a visit. Mister K had a spinal cord injury, so he chooses to travel the city by means of a wheelchair and dog. Since the sidewalks are worthless outside of where great politicians and rich people tread K took it to the streets. His dog, Buddy, is a beast of a wheelchair sledder, getting around 16mph in these cold blistering conditions.
He is a wonder to these parts. Downtown a girl arched her head back as he passed and starred as though she had seen her long lost brother Charlie Anonymous. Had I done the same to this girl, I would end up with a solid pink hand print across my face.
It was not all merry and cheery however, because sometimes while traveling, K would hit a nasty part on the sidewalk (hence the reason to stay to the streets) and take a spill. Laughing, but injured he took the spills well, although one has to wonder how many times he maims himself doing this mode of transportation.
K used to handcycle all the time. He did the Salt Lake Century on a handbike and pushed another handbike uphill in the Salt Lake City 25 Mile Tour:
Doctors told K after getting confined to a wheelchair, that he would have to stay in a wheelchair for the entirety of his life. He proved them wrong. He found handcycling, and put all of his heart and soul into the cycle. Eventually, using the strength, the determination and the dedication he found in handcycling, he can walk now with a cane and even without it for short distances. Without his handbike experience, the Captain may have very well steered in utter destruction.
These days he doesn't handbike much. However, as a Captain of Adventure, I expect K to make it back into the handcycling any day now...
