SEQUIM — A Sequim woman paralyzed from the chest down has launched a GoFundMe page online to raise money to purchase a new handcycle.
Handcycles are powered by users’ arms rather than their legs, with most coming in tricycle form to provide stability.
Injured in a car wreck in 1988, Bonnie Richardson, who is in her early 50s, has found joy and independence riding area trails on the Quickie Mach III handcycle for nearly two decades.
“It is a reason to get out of bed,” she said. When “the sun is shining, [handcycling] is all I can think of.”
The bike is “also an icebreaker because people might be a little nervous about talking to me” because of the disability.
“But they will stop and talk about the bike, and that opens the door.”
The old handcycle is in disrepair. She can’t ride on it anymore.
“For the past 17 years, I have greatly enjoyed putting many miles on my handcycle,” she said.
“Unfortunately, my bike is now old and no longer safe to ride. They no longer make the parts I need to fix it.”
Her handcycle benched, Richardson has tried to replace the void with other activities.
“I can’t stand not being physical,” she said.
“I have tried sled hockey. That is a little too physical, and the ice is very hard.”
She has also tried kayaking, “which I really love, but I have to have a lot of help for that — somebody who can lift me in.”
Ready to get back out on the trail and enjoy the spring weather, Richardson has her eyes set on a brand-new handcycle.
Top End Force
But at $5,100, the Invacare Top End Force CC handcycle that would best suit her is out of her price range.
Refusing to give up on her dream, in 2014, Richardson applied for a grant through the Kelly Brush Foundation.
The nonprofit organization provides assistance to people with spinal cord injuries by offering grants to purchase adaptive athletic equipment such as handcycles.
“They generously awarded $3,000 toward the purchase of a new handcycle,” Richardson said.
“This leaves $2,100 that I need to raise.”
The grant will expire June 30 if she doesn’t have the full purchase price, she said.
Richardson hopes “to reach a broader audience and raise the funds necessary to purchase the new bike and regain the sense of freedom, independence, social life, health, self-esteem and more that was threatened with the death of my beloved handcycle,” she said.
“We shared many miles over the past years.”
Richardson asks community members to go online and donate to her cause at www.gofundme.com/qx3bwp4.
As of Wednesday, she had raised $1,113 of the $2,100 needed on her page.
Richardson has until June 30 to raise the additional money before the grant expires.
“Our grants are awarded annually in December, and we tell all grant recipients that they have until June 30 to use the granted funds,” said Zeke Davisson Kelly Brush Foundation executive director.
“We find that every year, a certain percentage of grant recipients don’t use their grant for various reasons, so we want to make sure we know what funds we will have available for the next grant cycle.
“We’re obviously really excited to be able to offer the grant we did, but we unfortunately can’t fully fund every deserving grant applicant.”
Davisson is pleased Richardson has launched a GoFundMe page.
“I think crowdfunding that way is a great tool to get a grant recipient’s community involved, which is something we really want to encourage,” he said.
“For people with a spinal cord injury or other disability, sports are all about freedom and inclusion.
“That freedom is all about the individual, but the inclusion starts with the individual’s community.
“I hope her community can help.”
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Sequim-Dungeness Valley Editor Chris McDaniel can be reached at 360-681-2390, ext. 5052, or cmcdaniel@peninsuladailynews.com.
