ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, June 13, 1996 TAG: 9606130043
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: S.D. HARRINGTON STAFF WRITER
THE STAR CITY ATHLETE has overcome every obstacle so far in his path to the Paralympics.
When Steve Aukward left Roanoke for Colorado to try out for the U.S. Paralympic cycling team in May, his hope of making the team already had suffered a blow.
His cycling partner, Greg Combs of Colorado Springs, had called a few days earlier with the news that he had broken his collarbone and three ribs in a cycling accident.
Combs told Aukward to come to the tryouts anyway. If he couldn't compete himself, he said, he would try to find someone who could.
Aukward is blind, and finding a seeing pilot who can compete on a tandem bicycle against some of the best blind and seeing cyclists in the country had been no easy task. It had taken him several months to find Combs, who is a member of the U.S. Army World Class Athletes Program.
Aukward made the trip to Colorado Springs last month despite the possibility of not being able to compete. Then Combs decided to try racing despite the broken collarbone and ribs. Such injuries normally take at least eight weeks to heal. It had been only two weeks since his crash.
But the cyclists gave it their best. Aukward put behind him the fact that he was one of the oldest athletes at the tryouts and had only about two years of cycling experience. And Combs raced despite the pain of his broken bones.
They raced six other cycling tandems for the four positions on the U.S. Association of Blind Athletes cycling team. The team will compete in the Paralympics, an international competition of disabled athletes in Atlanta two weeks after the Olympics.
Aukward and Combs made the team.
They finished third in the road competition and fourth in each of the three velodrome competitions to secure their spot. Velodromes are indoor, banked cycling tracks.
"It's probably short of miraculous," Aukward said. "It kind of reaffirmed a faith and a dream."
Aukward and Combs will compete in the Paralympics Aug. 17-19 and again Aug. 21. Before that, they must compete with the cycling team in various events across the country, including the U.S. Cycling Federation's national track championships in July.
Contributions to help fund Steve Aukward's trip to the Paralympics can be sent to Blue Ridge Bicycle Club, Judy Ayers, treasurer, 5704 Knowles Drive, Roanoke 24018.
LENGTH: Medium: 57 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: FILE/1996. Steve Aukward (right) has qualified toby CNBcompete as a member of the U.S. Association of Blind athletes
cycling team in the 1996 Paralympics in Atlanta two weeks after the
Olympics. He is seen here with Vince Seneker, with whom he has been
training. color.