A cycling track which will also cater for autistic children was officially opened at Hams Club in Selborne on Saturday.
It was her autistic son’s battle to learn to ride a bicycle which prompted Selborne resident Fiona Webber to start a cycle club which caters for autistic and disabled children.
Webber said her son Garryck struggled to learn how to ride, finally grasping the technique only when he turned nine.
Eager to get him to spend time exercising outside, Webber said she made use of an abandoned tennis court at Hamilton Club, situated just up the street from her.
Although Garryck managed to ride on it, Webber said the court was unkempt and dirty. She wanted a cycle track which her son – and children like him – could use.
She said she approached the club’s management and shared her idea but was told the area would be used for a volleyball court.
Six months later, the club called back saying the land was hers if she still required it, setting the cycle track construction into motion.
She first had to find a designer for the basic lay of the track, which is when Webber got the Eastern Wheelers Youth Cycling Club on board.
After the track was designed, a contractor was brought in to level the land and fill up the holes, followed by a paint job.
After about a year of intense work and securing donations for its completion, the track is now officially open, with a launch held on Saturday.
“I just thought it would be a simple matter of cleaning up the courts and painting them but it turned out to be a lot more complicated than that,” Webber said.
“When I had the idea for the track I spoke to my friend about it and she suggested I speak to Luca Fanicchi from the youth cycle club about a design and he was very keen to get involved.
“Then I had to organise a contractor to level the ground and fill in the holes but we were not finished there.
“There was the paint job left, which needed more paint than I could have ever imagined.
“We ended up using around 230 litres. Now that the track is open for use, we can start looking at ways to improve it.”
Fanicchi, who designed the track, said the project had been split into three phases.
The first phase was the clean-up and painting of lines. The second phase would be to put up stop signs around it with the third phase focused on expanding.
Webber said the project would not have been possible without the generous donations of the East London community. — zisandan@dispatch.co.za
Mom realises cycling dream for autistic children
It was her autistic son’s battle to learn to ride a bicycle which prompted Selborne resident Fiona Webber to start a cycle club which caters for autistic and disabled children.
Webber said her son Garryck struggled to learn how to ride, finally grasping the technique only when he turned nine.
Eager to get him to spend time exercising outside, Webber said she made use of an abandoned tennis court at Hamilton Club, situated just up the street from her.
Although Garryck managed to ride on it, Webber said the court was unkempt and dirty. She wanted a cycle track which her son – and children like him – could use.
She said she approached the club’s management and shared her idea but was told the area would be used for a volleyball court.
Six months later, the club called back saying the land was hers if she still required it, setting the cycle track construction into motion.
She first had to find a designer for the basic lay of the track, which is when Webber got the Eastern Wheelers Youth Cycling Club on board.
After the track was designed, a contractor was brought in to level the land and fill up the holes, followed by a paint job.
After about a year of intense work and securing donations for its completion, the track is now officially open, with a launch held on Saturday.
“I just thought it would be a simple matter of cleaning up the courts and painting them but it turned out to be a lot more complicated than that,” Webber said.
“When I had the idea for the track I spoke to my friend about it and she suggested I speak to Luca Fanicchi from the youth cycle club about a design and he was very keen to get involved.
“Then I had to organise a contractor to level the ground and fill in the holes but we were not finished there.
“There was the paint job left, which needed more paint than I could have ever imagined.
“We ended up using around 230 litres. Now that the track is open for use, we can start looking at ways to improve it.”
Fanicchi, who designed the track, said the project had been split into three phases.
The first phase was the clean-up and painting of lines. The second phase would be to put up stop signs around it with the third phase focused on expanding.
Webber said the project would not have been possible without the generous donations of the East London community. — zisandan@dispatch.co.za
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