her story
As an elite road and track cyclist, Trish Downing “gave back” to the community by volunteering her cycling skills as a pilot for visually impaired riders. Little did she know that an accident in the Fall of 2000 would put her on the other side of the equation.
Trish was training in Golden, CO when she was hit by a car and suffered a T-4 spinal injury. Her back was broken, but not her spirit. Trish’s experience working with challenged athletes gave her faith that everything would be okay. From her hospital bed, Trish wrote out her first grant request to CAF – for a handcycle that would get her back on the road … and back into life. Trish understands that her accident was not an end, but a new beginning. And what a new beginning it has been. Trish was named USA Triathlon’s Physically Challenged Athlete of the Year for 2003.
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