ESSEX JUNCTION, Vt. (WCAX) – After his spinal cord injury in 2017, Ryan McLaren found his love for hand cycling – and with a new grant from the Kelly brush foundation, he’s been able to get a handcycle nice enough to make him a competitive marathoner.
He’s participated in three Boston marathons using a loaner bike – not really made for racing.
This year, he’s hoping his new gear will give him a boost during his fourth.
“The fact that the ability to go outside and exercise is not a luxury – but things like adaptive sports equipment are treated at such,” McLaren said. “And they’re really expensive because there’s not a lot of them made and they’re quite specialized.”
McLaren says the grant has given him the freedom to compete more competitively, and says he wouldn’t have been able to find the resources without the support of the Kelly Brush Foundation, and other organizations in Vermont like Vermont Adaptive and the High Fives Foundation.