HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — The U.S. Paralympic Cycling open is underway in the Rocket City. These competitors race on bicycles, tricycles and hand cycles and all have some kind of physical impairment.
Many competitors are also veterans, and this event means a lot to them...and the city of Huntsville.
Oz Sanchez, Handcyclist, Paralympics Cycling Open, is a gold medal winner and former Marine. He says, "This is kind of my obsession, paracycling and sport. Sport has meant much for me throughout my lives. I like to easily say without exaggeration or hyperbole that it saved my life in much regards. The injury left me kind of hanging cold and naked for a lot of years because my identity was associated with, so much with the military uniform and I didn't have access to that option anymore, and so finding sport and then specifically adaptive cycling and I just jumped into another uniform. Granted, it's Lycra and Spandex, I never would have admitted 20 years ago that that'd be the majority of what I wear day to day but you know, here we are. I wear the stars and stripes now for a different reason but it's a uniform that I'm proud to wear both domestically and internationally."
Chip Cherry, President & CEO, Madison County Chamber of Commerce, shares, "I don't know about you but I wouldn't be able to hand-pedal around this course. I mean I'd be out of breath half way up the street and be on the side of the road resting. We're roughly, 25, 30 percent of the field are veterans and that's one of the reasons this event was so kind of appealing to us, one, traditionally the Paralympic don't get the same level of support or expose that the traditional Olympic sports would, but also because of Redstone and our history with the department of defense, the ability to kind of support and highlight these men and women who have served our country and you know, made significant sacrifices to do so."
The Paralympic Cycling Open continues on Sunday, April 18.
Athletes will compete in three types of road cycling events at the U.S. Paralympics Cycling Open, including a road race, individual time trial and handcycling team relay. This event is one of four domestic cycling events for para-cyclists to qualify for the Summer Paralympics in Tokyo.
The event means some road changes in Madison. The course starts and ends at Columbia High School and Explorer Boulevard will be closed to traffic starting at 6 a.m. Saturday and Sunday.
No tickets are needed to watch this free event. The open will happen rain or shine. Families are invited to come out and watch along the outside ring of Explorer Boulevard. You're welcome to pack a cooler and bring chairs and a blanket.
Even though Alabama’s mask mandate has been lifted, attendees are encouraged to follow current CDC guidelines. Signs will be posted along the course encouraging families to maintain social distancing from people not in their households.
Below, the city of Huntsville has provided a spectator guide for this event:
See what paralympic cycling events look like:
Director of Paralympic Cycling Ian Lawless said he’s excited the races are starting again after having to put a pause on them because of COVID.
”It’s really amazing to have everyone be able to see each other again in a socially distanced way and to be able to start up our community again and have that comradery that happens in our cycling events, and our Paralympic competitions,” Lawless said.
The U.S. Paralympics Cycling Open is the second opportunity for Para-cyclists to qualify for the Summer Paralympics in Tokyo this summer.
More information about U.S. Paralympics Cycling can be found on Team USA's website.
IN OTHER NEWS: VERIFY: Are 'Economic Impact Payment Cards' legitimate?