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Colours Wheelchair Paraplegic Athlete Matt StrugarFritsch to Ride His...

Paraplegic Matt Strugar-Fritsch, 25 years old from Carmichael, California will ride his hand cycle 106 miles within 24 hours through beautiful Solano and Napa counties in Northern California. This will be Matt'ss first time attempting to go such a long distance in a short amount of time on his hand cycle since being injured in 2003. A very difficult feat for anyone but even more so for a paraplegic. However, he will not be alone on his journey. Matt'ss Mother, Father and Sister will join him in this adventure and will be riding their bikes the same distance. Matt feels incredibly grateful to have their support especially since this is their first time doing an event like this. They are all eager to push themselves to their limit and then even further.

Matt is participating in the 2008 Foxy'ss Fall Century Bike Ride sponsored by the Davis Bike Club. The number of participants is capped at 1,200. Strugar-Fritsch, like many athletes, has set his sight on many goals. He wants to win a marathon, compete in as many bicycle races as he can, and get back to the mountain bike trails he used to spend his summer days navigating. Strugar-Fritsch was well on his way to reach these goals as an able-bodied athlete, and though he lost the use of his legs in a mountain bike accident, the drive and determination burn brighter as he faces new challenges every day.

On August 30, 2003, on a trail in Marquette, in the Upper Peninsula, Strugar-Fritsch and his friends were riding their mountain bikes down the face of a mountain. While doing a stunt off an eight-foot cliff, a stunt he had successfully maneuvered many times before, Strugar-Fritsch landed awkwardly on his front tire, went flying over his handlebars, and shattering two vertebras in the process.

He uses a Top End Force hand cycle. A hand cycle is propelled by rotating the crank with your hands, rather than your feet. Usually there is one wheel up front and two, smaller wheels in the back. After plenty of practice, Strugar-Fritsch says he can maintain a 15-16 mph pace on the road, passing many able-bodied riders in races. His training consists of riding his hand cycle 50 miles each week. Strugar-Fritsch rides hand cycles to raise awareness about the life-changing programs offered by Disabled Sports USA. An organization that he is also the spokesperson for.

Matt Strugar-Fritsch will be riding his hand cycle 106 miles in the 2008 Foxy'ss Fall Century Bike Ride on October 18, 2008 at 7:00 AM. The starting and finish line will be at the Veteran'ss Memorial Center in Davis, California.

Among riding his hand cycle Matt Strugar-Fritsch also does whitewater kayaking, whitewater rafting and downhill and cross-country skiing.

The Colours Wheelchair company makes the most innovative manual wheelchairs and wheelchair accessory items on the market. Colours is constantly searching for ways to improve the lifestyle of the disabled and surrounding communities. We realize the importance of mobility, but respect the need for groovy, great-stylin's manual wheelchairs. This is more than a mere wheelchair for mobility - this is a lifestyle!

If you'sd like more information about this topic, or to schedule and interview with Matt Strugar-Fritsch, please contact John Gunnar Box at (951) 808-9131 or e-mail john@colourswheelchair.com

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