Cycling with senior citizen on the OPair wheelchair bike

Giving bike rides to senior citizens

Shannon Catalano launched a nonprofit organization in order to give bike rides to senior citizens. Her grandmother inspired her riding a bike at a young age. Later in her life, her grandma suffered from Dementia. She was not able to cycle but that was the only thing she really wanted. Here family didn’t know, at that point, that cycling with dementia is possible. Read more that topic in our article: ‘Cycling together with dementia’.

She really wanted to go out and just wanted to ride her bike! After, Shannon’s grandma had passed away she came across the project of the Portland Wheelers, the Portland Wheelers are also an organization that gives free bike rides to people that are living with significant disabilities and are not able to cycle independently. They “make it possible for people living with disability, debility, or dementia to get outdoors with the sun on their face and the wind in their hair”.

 
After Shannon heard about the Portland Wheelers she got so inspired by it that she raised money for a Van Raam OPair wheelchair bike and launched the organization, “Lone star wheelers”, a community service that offers joyful wheelchair bike rides. Now she can finally give bike rides to senior citizens.

Inspired by her grandma, giving bike rides to senior citizens is very important to her. She also said “I wasn’t able to pedal my grandma. But I’m going to be able to pedal someone else’s grandma."

Shannon continuous, and says that for them a simple bike ride can inspire a lot of memories. So, she cycles with them around the court and for those that are a little more adventurous she rides to the dog park. And if you once rode on such a bike you will never forget how it makes you feel she continues.