Adaptive mountain bikes help former pro Coleen Kehoe rediscover her love of riding with her husband

Jun 17, 2023

Coleen Kehoe's life was turned upside down three years ago.

The former professional mountain bike rider became a T4 paraplegic after a riding accident, meaning she was paralysed from her chest to her feet.

She says it changed the world as she knew it.

"To be so active beforehand and being at the top of your game for the age that you are," Ms Kehoe says.

"And then to be stopped and not be able to walk ever again."

Mountain bike riding was Ms Kehoe's life: competing in national races and volunteering at a club.

She met her husband of 20 years, Rick, while riding at Glenrock State Conservation Area in the New South Wales Hunter region.

Mr Kehoe says it was tough on them both when they found out they could not ride together anymore.

"I rode a little but didn't really mention it a lot either," he says.

"It was a hard pill to swallow."

Today the pair are back on the track together, thanks to adaptive mountain bikes.

They are specially designed, three-wheeled bikes for riders who cannot sit on a standard mountain bike.

The NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) has upgraded 2.5 kilometres of mountain bike tracks at Glenrock to make them suitable for adaptive bikes.

Ms Kehoe says it allows her to enjoy riding with her husband again.

"Sometimes when I see the look on his face and he's just glowing, I think he's proud of me," she says.

Mr Kehoe says adaptive trails have also opened "a whole new world" for the pair.

"It's different but we're still here, we're still hanging out with our mates, our mountain bike family," he says.

Mitch Carter is the NPWS area manager for the Lower Hunter.

He says upgrading trails to make them suitable for adaptive bikes requires widening, adjusting the camber, and removing rocks.

"It's probably not something we could do to every single trail," he says.

"But we have been blown away at just how many additional trails we have been able to adjust."

Chris Apps is another mountain bike rider who has benefited from the upgrades to the trails at Glenrock.

The 41-year-old had a mountain bike crash in 2019, which left him as an incomplete C6-7 quadriplegic.

He was the first person to raise the idea of developing local adaptive trails.

"When I first started to ride, I couldn't even access the park here because there was no gate available wide enough," he says.

Mr Apps contacted the NPWS and requested a gate that could be opened with an MLAK key, which allows people living with a disability to access public facilities.

He says life is better with adaptive trails.

"I would have missed a lot of enjoyment in my life," Mr Apps says.

"I probably would have become a bit bitter and sad watching my friends continue to do the things I love."

Mr Apps says there is always work to do when it comes to developing more adaptive trails.

"In the brief time I've been helping National Parks we've gone from none to six," he says.

"But there are many places that would benefit from it, not just in Newcastle but across Australia."

Mr Carter says NPWS is keen to open up opportunities wherever possible.

"Chris has provided feedback on one trail as recently as a couple of weeks ago where if we move one rock slightly to the left, we'll be able to open that one up," he says.

"Wherever we can, we'll do it, while keeping everybody safe."