Alfie’s bike ride

Parent to Parent awareness week – Alfie’s bike ride

6-12 August 2012

For a 10 year boy, riding a bike is about as natural as emptying the biscuit tins or leaving dirty socks under the bed, but for Alfie Linn learning to ride took a lot longer than most.

Alfie’s mum, Jane Linn is the Regional Coordinator of Parent to Parent, a nationwide organisation that provides support to parents who have children with disabilities, health impairments and special needs.

Jane says one of the activities they have planned during this year’s awareness week was inspired by Alfie learning to ride his bike.

“He wanted to go on the ferry from Mapua to ride the cycle trail along Rabbit Island with his friends, but he was really struggling with peddling,” Jane says. “I went to the dump and picked up an old exercycle and that cracked it – once he got the peddling going, he got back on his bike and although he was a little wobbly at first, he eventually rode his bike unaided for the first time.”

Jane says as a parent of a special needs child you often have to be creative about how you do things: “You’re always thinking outside the square and that’s how it was with teaching Alfie to ride a bike.”

Alfie was the inspiration for this year’s sponsored bike ride at Rabbit Island because it was somethingeveryone could take part in.

“My son learned to ride a bike at age 10 - it was a big thing and it took weeks, but he wanted to be able to ride just like everyone else and take the boat to Rabbit Island. Having a bike ride is something that families can do together.”

Jane says they are calling the event A2B so people can walk, ride, scoot, run, or wheel on Rabbit Island.

Other activities planned for the Parent to Parent awareness week in Nelson include:
- a coffee morning at Zumo’s on Tuesday 7 August.
- selling Gingerbread Men and a raffle/street appeal in Trafalgar St on Thursday 9 August.
- A2B on Rabbit Island,10 – 12pm Sunday 12 August followed by a sausage sizzle.

Parent to Parent also gives families information about their child’s condition, and facilitates workshops, seminars and various programmes to support parents and other family members.

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