By Neto Baptiste
In their bid to lend continued support to the medical rehabilitation of injured national cyclist, Andre Simon, the Antigua and Barbuda Cycling Federation (ABCF), will host a fun ride this weekend with all proceeds raised going towards his medical fund.
President of the federation St Clair Williams said that on Sunday, participants will have an opportunity to gather at the very spot where the accident occurred last year.
“We’re all going to gather up at 9am at the Sir Vivian Richards stadium and it is going to be a small ride, about six or seven miles. We’re going to start at the stadium, go down Factory Road and make a right onto Airport Road and what we are going to be doing out of respect is taking a short pause at the site of the crash for about a minute’s silence and then we continue up to the Pan Am Base, circle around the Pan Am Base and then we head back to the start finish which would be at the Sir Viv stadium,” he said.
Four cyclists, including Simon, were struck by a motor vehicle on May 8 last year while out for a morning ride on the Sir George Walter Highway. The other cyclists, Ghere Coates, Tiziano Rosignoli and Sean Weathered were all treated for injuries and discharged but Simon was not so lucky.
Williams said he recently received some encouraging news from the family.
“After having a conversation as recent as this week, they are saying there are some small signs of recovery where he is responding to sounds and he is also making sounds in trying to answer what they are telling him so the next step, according to the family member is speech therapy or rehabilitation,” the cycling boss said.
The cycling boss said the federation will continue to play its part in the rehabilitation of the cyclist.
“Saturday will make 365 days since the incident happened and that was last year, May 8 on Mothers’ Day. We had four cyclists directly impacted but only one now needs medical care and that is Andre Simon. We would have committed ourselves from the start, the Antigua and Barbuda Cycling Federation and its members will continue to support any venture to assist Andre Simon with his medical expenses,” he said.
Persons can register for the fun ride on the morning of the event or they can contact Williams at 773-8102.