Tuesday, November 24, 2009

The Beginning

I am a sighted tandem pilot for a blind cyclist named Clark Rachfal from Annapolis, MD. After several years of delusions, I have finally accepted my role in this partnership ... I am equipment.

It's important that, on race day, I am prepared just as the bicycle is. I must be properly tuned, well adjusted, clean, and ready to race. I must not break down at inopportune times, nor malfunction in any way. And I am reminded of this periodically.

Clark and I have been racing since the summer of 2007, and we've been improving steadily as a team ever since. We have recently recently reached the peak of our part of the cycling world - we were crowned world champions in the 4km pursuit at the 2009 UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships. This is an honor I never dreamed of achieving when I started racing bikes, and I'm still coming to terms with what it means to me.

I started this blog to share what I've experienced and learned as a para-cycling pilot while telling my perspective on our journey to an internet full of disinterested spectators who probably won't read it. And it's part of my 12-step program as I come to terms with the fact I'm not just a piece of meat - I'm a piece of equipment!