A Specific Type of People - Spinal Cord Injuries and Hand Cycling

Kris Sanford

Age: 23

Area of Break: C4

Date of Injury: 2009

How long cycling: 3 1/2 Yrs.

Alam Aguirre

Age: 24

Area of Break: C4 incomplete

Date of Injury: 2010

How long cycling: 2 Yrs.

Robert Cardenes

Age: 35

Area of Break: C10

Date of Injury: 2008

How long cycling: 5 Yrs.

Pedro Diaz

Age: 32

Area of Break: C8/C9

Date of Injury: 2003

How long cycling: 6 Mo.

Keaton Belliston

Age: 20

Area of Break: C8

Date of Injury: 2012

How long cycling: 3rd Class

I had an amazing experience going to this hand cycling class at the U and seeing how amazing, determined, and strong these wonderful people are. Kris is a really good friend of mine who has been hand cycling for quite a while and plans on breaking the world record! Check out his journey at www.spinalride.com

Dime On a Map: Big Spring Hollow

9/11

Tony du Preez had only lived in UT for about a year when 9/11 happened, he moved here from South Africa to make a better life for him and his family. He was on his way to a consulting job listening to the radio when he heard the first plane had hit. His first thought was it had to have been a drunk guy and some freak accident. After he arrived at his office and heard people talking about it he then saw on the news that the second plane had hit, his next thought? Definitely not a drunk guy. Tony said "the rage and indignation in which America responded was wild and the fact that the buildings actually collapsed was unbelievable". He thought, "was it all a plot? it was unreal". As a result of 9/11, just one year after arriving in the US his job as a consultant no longer existed and he had to find an alternate source of income, which became real estate.