Cork cycling initiative gives daughter with disability 'something to look forward to', says mother

The Cycling for All group works with cyclists living with everything from cerebral palsy to mobility issues, Motor Neurone Disease and MS, among other issues

(Left to right) Frank Peyton, Sinead Kelly and Tim O'Donovan on their way to the unveiling of the new bicycle storage unit of Cycling For All at the former site of the Ursuline convent in Blackrock, Cork. The unit will allow people with disabilities to access adapted bikes. Picture: David Keane

A blind and deaf cyclist who cares for her daughter with Down Syndrome opened up about how a tandem bike initiative has changed both their lives during a milestone event for the organisation.

Ita Carroll and her daughter Shellie, who live in Ballinacurra, were among those attending the opening of Cycling for All’s new storage facility in Blackrock which allows its members to access modified bicycles for leisure purposes. It comes years after Glanmire man Mark O’Donoghue started the initiative to give people with disabilities the chance to enjoy outdoor exercise again.