Point Edward camp helps cyclists with disabilities get rolling

Cole Stewart, 8, was rolling along on a two-wheeler in the parking lot of the Point Edward arena as volunteers ran alongside during a session of a week-long ICan Bike program.

It was hosted by Pathways Health Center for Children and conducted by a US-based non-profit ICan Shine, which runs more than 100 five-day camps a year in the US and Canada teaching people with disabilities to ride a two-wheeler.

“He hasn’t had much interest in riding a bike until now,” said Cole’s mother, Kathy Stewart. “It’s a positive way getting him riding a two-wheeler.”

“He’s just looking forward to going on bike rides with the family,” she said.

Twenty-one riders signed up for the week’s daily 75-minute sessions, helped by about 52 volunteers, said Pathways’ Paige Robinson.

ICan Bike focuses on people age eight and up with varying disabilities, such as autism, intellectual and physical issues, she said.

“Riding a bike isn’t an easy skill, especially when you’re facing some sort of disability,” Robinson said.

The week has been “heart-warming,” she said.

“Riders can come to camp very fearful.” Robinson said.

They may have tried riding before and had a fall, but the program boosts their confidence and “gets them comfortable on the bike,” she said.

“They start out on our roller bikes on a Monday and a Tuesday,” said ICan Shine’s Megan Pulsfort. These bikes, with a roller at the back to keep them upright, give riders confidence while they learn.

They move on to tandem bikes and then two-wheelers with a safely handlebar at the back that a volunteer can hold during rides around the arena floor, then outdoors in the parking lot.

“After they’ve had some practice on our two-wheel bike, we go ahead and get them on their two-wheel bike, so they’re ready to . . . keep riding after camp is done,” Pulsfort said.

But “success looks different for all of our riders,” she added.

For some, it’s riding a two-wheeler on their own after camp, while for others, it’s that they rode at camp “and had a blast,” she said.

“Some of them are sharing, ‘This is the best, I can’t wait to ride to school one day,’” Robinson said of this week’s riders.

Pulsfort said for people who may never drive as adults, riding a bike can offer “a sense of inclusion, and they don’t have to rely on someone else to get them where they need to go.”

It can also boost their confidence and provide physical activity “while doing something fun,” she said.

Pathways has hosted ICan Bike camps before, but there was a pause amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Robinson said they plan to bring them back every three years.

Several sponsors and donors are helping with the cost, and Point Edward donated arena time, she said.