Double Amputee Soldiers to Cycle 1500 kms Across New Zealand

Double Amputee Soldiers to Cycle 1500 kms Across New Zealand

Off By Ed Hanna

Severely injured soldiers and veterans making up three international teams from the; UK, Canada, and New Zealand, are to cycle, using specialist recumbent tandem cycles, over 1500 miles from the most southern point to the most northern point of New Zealand during late October and November 2018.

Working in conjunction with The NZ Defence Force, this will be the first distance event of this kind and it is hoped it will become an annual challenge with Operation Ride being hosted by the winning team in 2020.

Operation Ride will cover 100 miles of challenging terrain per day. Each cycle will have an adapted hand element at the front for the amputees.

About Operation Ride

Working in conjunction with the New Zealand military, the intention is to stage a tandem bike race in late 2018.

The challenge ranges from the southern tip of New Zealand Motupohue Scenic Reserve in Bluff (the bottom of New Zealand’s south island) to Cape Reinga (ultimate northern New Zealand) a distance of 1,521, miles or 2,500 km.

The race will cover around 100 miles a day and take 21 days including 2 days rest and 1 spare day for unexpected / unplanned events.

Those racing will be injured servicemen from 3 countries: The UK, Canada and New Zealand.

The injured personnel will be on the front of specially adapted tandem hand-cycles and will be supported by able-bodied race team members on the rear of the tandems. the injured participants range from double amputee to a single leg amputee. Each team will consist of 5 (4 injured and 1 able bodied).