Winston Park couple Michelle and Oliver Sinclair were amongst the thousands who rode the 2017 Tsogo Sun Amashova cycle race, making a bold statement in the black and white cycling gear of The Cows for the CHOC Childhood Cancer Foundation.
Oliver, or Ollie, is a multiple sclerosis sufferer and rode in a specially-modified hand cycle, with his wife Michelle nearby to help during the 35km race to Durban. “Ollie has ridden the Amashova in his hand cycle three times now, but this was the first time that we have done it for The Cows,” said Michelle Sinclair.
“While he was getting treatment in hospital, Ollie was in the paediatric ward and saw first-hand what children go through when getting cancer treatment. To experience what a difference it makes to let kids have their families with them while they are getting cancer treatment really struck home, so we were proud to ride the Amashova for CHOC.”
The hand cycle played into Ollie’s hands on the descents, but took a lot of extra effort to get up the hills, where Michelle used the bar on the back of the hand cycle to help push him to the summit of each hill. “We were actually doing really well and got to Tollgate in less than an hour, but then Ollie got a flat tyre and, with the very unusual tyres on his hand cycle, we couldn’t repair it.
“We agreed that we weren’t going to give up, so he rode on the flat tyre all the way to the finish,” said Michelle. “The support from fellow riders and spectators kept us going.”
– Gameplan Media
www.thecows.co.za