RIDING a bicycle seems impossible for someone who is blind, but para-cycling has provided Dean Cameron with that opportunity.
Mr Cameron so enjoys the sport that he is competing at a state level and wants to encourage other people to give it a go.
The sport of para-cycling covers tandems ridden by a stoker who is partially or fully blind and a pilot, handcycles for people with physical disabilities and trikes that provide support for people who have seizures.
Mr Cameron rode one of three tandems that took part, with a hand cyclist, in the state championships recently.
The competition consisted of a 66 kilometre race and time trials.
Mr Cameron has been riding tandems for 10 years and started racing about six months ago.
It has been a challenge to find a cycling club that will allow para-cyclists to race, but a Nundah club, Lifecycles has allowed them to join in.
The Thorneside resident and his wife have formed a Queensland para-cycling committee and hope to promote the sport.
“We want to find more people who are disabled who want to ride and compete,” said Mr Cameron.
“We want to educate people about how tandems work.”
Mr Cameron said a pilot is the eyes of the stoker, the person riding at the back.
“The pilot does the gearing, braking, advising the stoker if they are going up a hill, if they are going to stop, if there are lights.”
With Mr Cameron having no sight in one eye and about two per cent vision in the other, he places a lot of trust in his pilot.
“The pilot has a large responsibility when you are on a tandem,” he said.
“It is a bit easier if you have partial sight. Balance is also a big issue.”
Mr Cameron is pedalling towards competing in national championships next year, but in the meantime he hopes to encourage other people to join the sport which gives him so much enjoyment.
