Josh Harrington has dreamed of riding in RAGBRAI, the world’s oldest and largest bike touring event, for years.
As someone who is legally blind, he knew the ride would not be easy. But it also wasn’t an excuse to drop out.
Harrington, who is living with a condition called retinitis pigmentosa that causes a progressive decline in vision, works as a teacher consultant for students with visual impairments and as an orientation and mobility specialist in Michigan.
A native of that state’s Kalamazoo, he spends his time working with children who are blind or have low vision to ensure they have access to both educational opportunities and their community, he told the Des Moines Register.
Despite his condition, Harrington has for years been a fan of cycling, and the Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa is one of its Meccas.
“RAGBRAI has been on my bucket list for a while,” Harrington said. “I’ve known a handful of people who’ve done it year after year and heard their stories, watched YouTube videos — it just looked like an amazing ride.”
But with his vision impairment and its accompanying tunnel vision, he was always worried about causing an accident while sharing the road with thousands of other riders.
After a lengthy quest for a sighted partner to join him in the ride on a tandem bike, he finally found one on his bike team, the Chain Gang.
“That was the catalyst,” he said. “When he asked, I was like—yes, let’s go. I was excited. It was the final push I needed to actually do the ride.”
Harrington said his arrangement with his riding partner, Paul Runnels, one of Kalamazoo’s most influential bike advocates, exemplifies what he seeks to teach the children he works with.
“A big part of my job is helping kids access things through accommodations,” he said. “My accommodation here is Paul — offering to ride tandem with me. And riding tandem is not easy — it’s a real team effort.”
Riding partner had his own challenge to overcome
Runnels said he had ruminated on taking Harrington as his tandem partner on RAGBRAI since Harrington first expressed his interest.
“I had a tandem at home that hadn’t been ridden much, so I offered to take him on RAGBRAI with me on the tandem,” Runnels said.
He said he has participated in RAGBRAI about 14 times; however, this is the first time he has ever ridden it, or at any length, on a tandem.
Runnels and Harrington started off practicing on Runnels’ personal tandem bike, but it didn’t feel solid, so a friend ended up loaning them the one they are using on RAGBRAI, which is more stable and better equipped.
Runnels and Harrington said they practiced together, riding nearly 300 miles before coming to RAGBRAI.
Runnels said RAGBRAI has helped him overcome his own challenges. He was among survivors when a driver on methamphetamine in June 2016 plowed into a cycling group in the rural outskirts of Kalamazoo, killing five people killed and injuring four. The horrific attack made national news as the driver was charged with and convicted of murder.
“RAGBRAI was my motivation to heal and get back on the bike. It gave me something to work toward,” Runnels said.
With a few days on the road as of Tuesday, July 22, he and Harrington been making strides in communication and have had a smooth ride so far.
“Paul does a great job making sure we’re making safe decisions on the road,” Harrington said.
But Harrington still must deal with challenges, such as riding in the dark, when he has no night vision. He said finding a new campsite before nightfall is always an adventure.
Challenges come and go, he said. but there’s always something to take away from the ride.
“My biggest hope is that people who are blind or have low vision realize the importance of surrounding themselves with good people — people willing to go the extra mile to help you succeed,” Harrington said. “Being blind isn’t an excuse to skip out on something as amazing as RAGBRAI.”
José Mendiola is a breaking news reporter for the Register. Reach him at jmendiola@dmreg.com or follow him on X @mendiola_news.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: ‘Being blind isn’t an excuse’ says blind cyclist tackling RAGBRAI for the first time
Reporting by José Mendiola, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
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