Bike for Bethany

This bike offers the option to get around without the use of my wheelchair, and get very valuable exercise!

I was born with a disability called Friedreick's Ataxia, which is a progressive muscular condition. I didn't know about this until I was 7, didn't really care until I was 12, and now, at the age of 20, I cannot walk without a lot of support. Using my muscles is the only way to prevent them being lost, and this is getting more and more difficult to do as my walking becomes less and less possible, due to falls and ankle twisting.

The Berkel Bike, that I was given on trial for a couple of weeks, allows me to use both my legs and my arms for a full body workout. Last night, I had trouble sleeping because I could feel the pain of my muscle growth, which is increible- even it it did result in a poor night's sleep! As well as this, it offers me a mode of transport that is exciting and rewarding. My dream is that I will be able to use it to get to my classes at Massey University, bike into town, go on biking adventures with my friends, and bike into town where I'll tutor students in mathematics, my field of study at university.

This will take a lot of time to build up my fitness in order to achieve my goal. However, I am highly motivated, and I would love this to become a reality!