November 4, 2008 – Courage in Motion aptly describes Aid to Disabled Veterans of Israel, Beit Halochem Canada’s inaugural five day bike ride through northern Israel from September 14 through 18, 2008. Disabled members of Beit Halochem and able bodied cyclists from Canada and the Untied States cycled over 400 kilometres from Nahariya to the Beit Halochem Centre in Jerusalem.

Beit Halochem has four centres in Israel which provide disabled war veterans and their families with cultural, sport and rehab activities suited to their specific needs.

The event served as a therapeutic activity for the Beit Halochem members as well as a fundraiser for the organization. Each able bodied participant had to raise a minimum of $2500 to participate in the ride. Between fifteen and forty members of Beit Halochem participated in the ride daily. The cyclists’ disabilities ranged from mobility challenged individuals, some single and double amputees, to blindness. The mobility challenged athletes rode hand bikes. The blind cyclists rode on the back of tandems.

As I attempt to describe the opportunity and experience of cycling through Israel with the Beit Halochem members, the words hero, courage, strength and optimism come to mind repeatedly. The courageous spirit embodied in each of the disabled cyclists and the uniqueness of this event was immediately apparent each morning as we prepared to ride. Since many of the disabled are missing limbs, part of their ride preparation involved attaching their limb appropriately and having an aid secure the rider on their bike. While the assortment of prosthetic limbs strewn about might at first glance seem distressing, I was struck by the abundant smiles and enthusiasm among the group of veterans.

As we set out together each morning, the disabled athletes faced the cycling challenge with strength and optimism. The Israelis maintained the true spirit of their compatriots behind the wheel, wild men!! The climbs were slow and occasionally, the Beit Halochem members required assistance. We assisted the disabled by riding alongside and talking to them, sharing many laughs or, dismounting our bike and walking alongside to give a little push as needed. Exhilarating descents followed the challenging climbs. The popular descent strategy seemed to be for these crazy drivers to remove their hands from their steering gear and fly downhill at top speeds!

The spirit and camaraderie developed during the ride continued into the evening as both groups shared accommodations and thus had the opportunity to dine and socialize together following the ride each day.

The opportunity for the disabled cyclists to participate in this event is due to their participation in the cycling program at Beit Halochem. Money raised in Canada for Beit Halochem provides direct funding to cycling and other sports programs. I observed first hand the importance of these programs and hope that we can continue to provide the necessary resources so that each of our disabled heroes has the opportunity to benefit from participation.

As I review the photos from this journey it is obvious that the real story is best told in pictures. Photos may be viewed at www.cycleisrael.com

For further information about Beit Halochem or the Courage in Motion Cycling Event, visit www.advi.ca . Courage in Motion 2009 is scheduled for October 18 through 23. Watch for details on the ride website, www.cycleisrael.com .