“Some two hundred cyclists set off on the track and they returned as two hundred friends,“ said the organizer of the race Heřmana Volf. He himself had to give up the race on account of rain and storm.
We’ll go again…
“Every cloud has a silver lining. Since I had to watch the race as a spectator, I discovered a number of things which can be changed for the better and not only those relating to the safety of the cyclists,“ said Heřman Volf. The number of handicapped cyclists will definitely increase. “The most important thing in the entire marathon is that they became part of a team,“ said Volf. There will be other marathons, since both Opel and ČEZ promised to support this event. Prague 6 will let us use Ladronka again. This was where the cyclists were welcomed in Prague and the place became a place of great entertainment. On the day of the arrival of the cyclists, five thousand people attended the event there.
City of Prague’s support
The City of Prague, which also had its team in the race, will also support this event.“It is an activity that is a great inspiration for others and I can promise that the City of Prague will give the race its support next year.“ Cllr. Lukáš Manhart, who also participated in the race said that his colleagues gained respect and that the handicapped cyclists definitely deserve great praise.
Journey to the Dream continues
The civic association Cesta za snem (Journey to the Dream), headed by Heřman Volf, is already organizing another event, which will certainly be called Opel Handy Cycling Marathon again. The participants to this year’s event will meet in October at a gala evening and in the mean time more ideas will certainly come to life. One has already been voiced: there might be a category for Professionals, as this year there were a number of them in several teams – although they did not always finish in leading positions.
Journey to the Dream continues with other activities as well, such as weekends in the country, ascent to Sněžka for children with amputations and a number of talks, lectures and meetings whose aim is to show the handicapped that a life in the wheelchair is not the end of life.
