Announcing the 2012 AAI Recipients

We are very excited to announce the recipients of the 2012 Ataxian Athlete Initiative!

The AAI funds the purchase of adaptive cycling equipment for people with Ataxia so they can participate in Ride Ataxia and have cycling adventures of their own.

The AAI program has experienced steady growth in both funding and the number of applications received since its 2009 inception. Because of a strong partnership with The FA Project, Catrike, The Melting Pot, and UVA Sun Systems the AAI more than doubled its impact from the previous year, providing funding for adaptive cycling equipment to seven individuals throughout the country.

The 2012 AAI recipients are Crystal Millering of High Ridge, Mont., Hamid Mehrizi of Dublin, Ohio, Nicole Kramer of Villa Park, Ill., Tricia Herman-Maul of Yorkshire, N.Y., Justin Hernandez of Graham, Texas, Mary Dieteman of Douglassville, Penn. and Lauren Williams of Glen Burnie, Md.

Read and share the Press Release HERE.

Tricia Herman-Maul on her new Catrike

"My physical abilities may be changing but, my ability to achieve greatness is stronger than ever. In High School I played basketball, swam, ran, and owned a green 10 speed bike which I rode everywhere. I have not owned a bike in the past 15 years and until recently forgot how great that freedom felt. While test riding three different trikes I never stopped smiling. I felt like my physical limitations were no longer a factor as my three children chased after me laughing. FA has taken my ability to run and I do many tasks much slower and cautiously than most, but that was all forgotten on the trike." - Tricia Herman-Maul