On A Bicycle Built for Two

Three weeks before Amanda Vallo turned 16, she was driving home from school with two friends. Their car was a few blocks from Amanda’s home in Tipp City, Ohio, when another car ran a red light and broadsided the vehicle Amanda was riding in, causing her incomplete C5-6 spinal cord injury.

Since her accident, Amanda, now 48, has stayed active, but the former competitive athlete has always felt like something was missing from her life.

“Before my accident, my world was all about sports. I played basketball, volleyball, golf, tennis, and ran track,” explains Amanda. “You name it—every sport was my jam. While I tried many different adaptive sports in college, I never found anything that I truly loved. I missed being part of a team and longed for the enjoyment and excitement that I used to feel while playing sports.”

A Kid in a Candy Store

Eager to be more active, Amanda scheduled an interdisciplinary outpatient evaluation at Craig Hospital in February 2017. “I had heard a lot of great things about Craig over the years,” she says. “As soon as I arrived, I felt like a kid in a candy store.”

Because Amanda did her initial rehab at a small regional hospital in Ohio, she says she had no idea what to expect at Craig: “There were so many adaptive options, very cool technology, and the PEAK Center—a huge gym stocked with equipment for my specific needs and ability. Craig also offered a calendar of therapeutic recreation outings to choose from. I used to have to seek out activities to participate in, but Craig had a huge menu of options.”

She adds, “Craig also felt extremely welcoming. There was so much support and encouragement, and I never felt like I was on display. All I had to do was show up and be open to trying new things. It was an amazing experience.”

“Miles von FlAva”

It was this positive experience, as well as an exciting job opportunity as a Client Services Manager at Freedom Service Dogs, that motivated Amanda to move to Colorado in 2019.

Last year, she decided that it was time for another intensive outpatient week at Craig. Her beloved service dog, Ava, had recently passed away and Amanda was struggling to come to terms with her death.

“At the time, I was grieving and I wasn’t in a good place. I felt like I needed something therapeutic. When I began my outpatient week at Craig, I met with Donna Goldberg, a certified therapeutic recreation therapist, and she quickly understood that I needed something to help me get through the difficult grieving process.”

That “something” was a bike.

Donna introduced Amanda to an adaptive bike with e-assist and took her on a 40-minute ride through a residential neighborhood and nearby park.

“The first ride I took on that monster-looking all-terrain trike was a piece of heaven on earth,” explains Amanda. “I knew this was what I had been missing. Once the adrenaline and endorphins set in, I was immediately hooked. I knew I needed to own my own bike.”

Amanda quickly contacted Angletech Cycles in Colorado Springs and tried out several adaptive bikes. The HP Scorpion Plus 20 was the best fit for her, but the $12,000 price was difficult to manage. However, thanks to Craig’s donor-funded adaptive equipment scholarship, Amanda was able to purchase the bike, which she quickly named, “Miles von FlAva,” after her beloved service dog.

Thrilled with the bike, Amanda insists that being out on the trail makes her feel connected to Ava and her spirit. “Through cycling, I have found freedom and independence. I also get to experience my body as a source of joy, and I feel a sense of purpose and agency in the world,” she says.

In addition, cycling has also allowed Amanda to build a new community of athletes with disabilities. Once the weather in Colorado warms up, she is looking forward to getting outside and riding with other bikers.

“My greatest joy in life was hooking Ava to my power chair and hitting the open road with her by my side. Now that some time has passed, I have started to open my heart to the idea of another service dog,” she explains. “In fact, I recently applied for another dog, and I can see myself riding my bike on the trail with my new dog running alongside me. And I have no doubt that Ava will be with us, too.”

She adds, “I believe this simple and beautiful life pleasure is the kind of thing that helps us move through grief—even the kind that lingers 30 years after a spinal cord injury.”