An employee of the Jersey Employment Trust has set himself a challenge of raising money for two charities by pedalling 50 laps of Les Quennevais cycle track on a trike.
Nick Ozouf was born with a condition known as Vitamin D resistant rickets which leads to softening and weakening of the bones, causing various mobility issues. He expects that his challenge, on Saturday 15 April, will take six hours.
This is not his first such feat. In September 2021, Nick set himself the challenge of a marathon distance on a hand-propelled recumbent bike.
Nick said: “The last challenge was all about upper body strength. This challenge will be harder, and more physical. My legs are not as strong as my arms and shoulders, and it’s almost double the distance. It will also be more of a mental challenge. Due to the winter weather, I haven’t done as much training.
“I used a hand-cycle last time because I didn’t think a traditional tricycle could be adapted for me. During training for the challenge, we found out that it could be, so this new challenge developed.
“The track is just under a mile long so I will do almost 50 miles. A challenge like this keeps me motivated to keep exercising. It allows me the freedom to do a sport on my own where I don’t need constant supervision. It’s all about freedom.”
Nick was going to undertake the challenge in celebration of his 60th birthday last year but it was postponed when he got Covid two weeks before. He expects that the only hazard this time could be the weather.
He added: “Strong winds could put it off, and even moderate winds would make it difficult on the back straight, 50 times over.”
The recumbent marathon raised more than £2,000 which was split between Acorn Enterprises and Cycle Without Limits. Acorn, JET’s social enterprise, provides work and training opportunities for people who have a disability or long-term health condition. Cycle Without Limits is an inclusive cycling centre run by Jersey Sport, allowing more people, who wouldn’t otherwise be able, to experience the freedom of cycling.
This time, Nick has set a fundraising target of £1,000, which will again be split between the two charities close to his heart. As well as raising money, he wants to raise awareness of disability.
He concluded: “People are only disabled if due to the environment or situation they cannot be involved or included. As a society we are striving for equality in all areas of life and this must include everyone who has a disability, no matter what it is. If we can provide the right environment, equipment and support to ensure that people with disabilities are always included, then we can ensure that they are not disabled.”
Nick would welcome support on the day, from 10 am, as he will need refreshments and encouragement.
Pictured: Nick when he was training for the recumbent hand-bike challenge. His next challenge is on an adapted tricycle.
