Two special riders brought together on a tandem
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- August
- 27
You may have read Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy artical in Monday’s Journal News about the Tour de Putnam. Here’s her lede:
KENT – Bill Grimes eagerly awaited his 14-year-old son Andrew’s return at Veterans Memorial Park yesterday morning after his first public bike ride through the scenic and winding country roads of Putnam County.
Andrew, who is deaf and blind, rode on a yellow tandem bike with Ian Diamond, his teacher’s husband, on a 15-mile route as part of Tour de Putnam, a popular cycling event.
Clicke here to read the whole story.
When I saw the photos come in to The Journal News from Kathy Diamond of her husband, Ian and Andrew on the bright yellow tandem I needed to know more. Here’s Ian’s first person report piloting the tandem with a verys special stocker.
Doing the ride was really my wife’s idea. She is a Teacher of the Deaf, and she has been working with Andrew Grimes during his summer school program for the past 5 years. Andrew also goes to “Camp Abilities,” a summer camp for disabled kids. His favorite activity there is tandem bike riding, which he does with one of the counselors. Andrew’s grandmother, hearing about his love for bike riding, bought him the yellow tandem to ride with his mother. Andrew is deaf and blind, so he cannot ride on his own, but it has become more difficult for his mother to ride with him as he grows bigger each year.
My wife, Kathy, suggested that we ride the tandem in the Tour de Putnam. I’ve been an avid cyclist for many years, and she thought Andrew and I would both have a nice time riding together. We decided to do the 15-mile route, which is an out and back to the first rest area. Believe me, it was no cake walk. The route consisted of rolling hills on the open road.
We were riding a single-speed tandem. We struggled up some of the hills, especially on the return, but Andrew never gave up and we kept turning the cranks.
I think it was a special day for Andrew because he had never ridden so far at one time. Also, he demonstrated a great deal of persistence and tenacity in never giving up on those tough rollers on Route 301. It was a special day for me because I was happy to share my love of bike riding with a budding cyclist.
By the way, it would be very helpful to Andrew if you know of anyone who would be interested in fostering Andrew’s growing interest in cycling. I live too far away to ride with him regularly, and his mother has been searching unsuccessfully for someone who would be interested in riding with her son. If you have someone in mind or can refer her to a local cycling club, it would be wonderful. If you would like to help Andrew and pilot his tandem or your own, please contact me at rkwolf@lohud.com and I will put you in touch with Andrew.
This entry was posted
on Wednesday, August 27th, 2008 at 11:09 AM by Randall Wolf. 
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