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I was with friends riding my dirt bike along an isolated stretch of desert near Moab. As we came down a hill, I looked to the side to see where my friends were. My front wheel dropped into a hole I hadn't seen. I was thrown over the handlebars and onto the rocks. In the blink of an eye, I was a 34 year old quadriplegic. And my life changed forever. In November 2003, I moved to Florida to begin recovery. With donated funds from the owners and employees of Conrad Yelvington Distributors, I purchased a 'hand cycle' from Bike-On. I began riding the moment I received the bike and knew this would be an outlet for exercise and healing.
I also started working out
at the Daytona Beach YMCA, where I learned to swim. I played
tennis with Nancy Olsen at the LPGA tennis center. I learned to
kayak and water ski. I've even done some downhill mountain
biking. But recently I became interested in the hand cycling
competition in marathons. Currently, I work full-time for DaVita, a kidney dialysis laboratory in Deland, Florida, as a Patient Account Program Systems Analyst. As for the graduate program, I am in my second year at the University of Central Florida, studying for a masters in Health Services Administration. In addition, I am a board member for the Center of Independent Living and the Port Orange Parks and Recreation department.
Scott A. Rimmer |