DOWNINGTON, Pa. – Aug 2024 – The Friedreich’s Ataxia Research Alliance (FARA), in partnership with the Burrows Hill Foundation, Catrike, the Moving Forward Fund, and the Texas Irish Foundation, is pleased to award adaptive cycling equipment to people with ataxia through the Ataxian Athlete Initiative (AAI). The organizations are proud to announce the 16th year AAI honorees: Peter Tait, South Africa; Mónica Herrero Huerta, Puerto Rico; and Andrew Harthorne, Maine.
Ataxia is a debilitating neuro-degenerative disease affecting children and adults. Friedreich’s ataxia (FA) is the most common of inherited ataxias, affecting balance and coordination and has symptoms such as vision and hearing loss and life shortening heart complications.
All equipment recipients articulated a strong commitment to staying active through adaptive cycling.
After taking a test ride, recipient Andrew Harthorne wrote, “I took a few laps around the parking lot to get accustomed to it. The biggest difference — and I can’t explain how revolutionary this was — came each time I pulled up to a stop. No anxiety! No fear of how I would pull to a stop and unclip without falling! It may sound silly, but knowing that I could just pull to a stop and the trike would just sit there was an amazing experience.”
As the lead sponsor, the Burrows Hill Foundation generously provided significant funding for the 2024 AAI.
“The Burrows Hill Foundation continues to be incredibly proud of our work with the AAI,” added Sam Hill, The Burrows Hill Foundation. “Staying active is an essential part of living with FA and we’re grateful we can help others maintain a healthy lifestyle.”
“I am so happy that fundraising for Moving Forward has been going so well that we were already able to help with the purchase of adaptive equipment through the AAI,” said Jack Perme, Co-Founder of the Moving Forward Fund. “I have found independence, purpose, and lots of fun from riding my trike. I’m hoping to share this with as many Ataxians as possible.”
AAI grants are administered through a competitive application process. Applicants research the most appropriate adaptive cycling equipment to suit their abilities and describe how such equipment would help them to reach their fitness goals and improve their quality of life.
Visit curefa.org/aai for more information and to view more photos of past recipients. The next application cycle begins in Spring 2025.
About Friedreich’s Ataxia Research Alliance
The Friedreich’s Ataxia Research Alliance (FARA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to curing Friedreich’s ataxia (FA) through research. FARA grants and activities provide support for basic and translational FA research, pharmaceutical/biotech drug development, clinical trials, and scientific conferences. FARA is also dedicated to bringing the patient voice to the drug development process by connecting FA families with the scientific community to create worldwide exchanges of information that drive medical advances. For more information about FARA, visit curefa.org
facebook.com/curefa | @CureFA_org
About The Burrows Hill Foundation
The Burrows Hill Foundation to Fight Friedreich’s ataxia (FA) is a 501(c)(3), non-profit, tax-exempt organization established to raise public awareness of FA, to raise money for research to find a cure for FA, and to assist those affected by FA. For more information about The Burrows Hill Foundation, visit burrows-hill.org.
