PLATTSMOUTH - The father-son team of Steve and Thaddeus Barr didn't win any medals or receive any trophies for their efforts at last Sunday's Pathfinder Duathlon in Fremont.
The Plattsmouth pair earned a much more important victory instead.
An avid cyclist, Steve, 35, had been unable to spend time riding bikes around home with Thaddeus, 7, because of his son's affliction with cerebral palsy. He and wife Kasey, 36, had been searching for a way to let their son experience the sensations of bike riding, as they knew it would be a good means of spending time outdoors together.
Finishing the run-bike duathlon helped them make that happen.
"Fathers always want to share what they love with their sons, and Thaddeus isn't in a position to ride bikes, so this was a good way for me to do that," Steve said. "It was more of a matter of being able to share that time with Thaddeus than trying to finish in a fast time."
The term cerebral palsy refers to any one of a number of neurological disorders that permanently affect body movement and muscle coordination. Caused by abnormalities in parts of the brain that control muscle movements, cerebral palsy often appears in children during infancy and affects them throughout their life.
Some children with mild cases of cerebral palsy may experience few physical disabilities and may require no special assistance. Those with severe cases can experience loss of muscle coordination, a crouched appearance or limited vision. They can also have spasticity, a condition that results from tight muscles and exaggerated reflexes.
Thaddeus has a severe case.
He can't talk or walk on his own. He has trouble seeing well and he experiences frequent muscle spasms. But he can sense the sun's warm rays and feel cool breezes brushing against his face. And he loves it.
"He's always enjoyed being outside and feeling the wind, and we've tried to get him out as much as possible," Kasey said. "We want to do anything we can to help him out."
Steve and Kasey's dream of helping Thaddeus experience cycling turned into reality earlier this year thanks to the Munroe-Meyer Institute for Genetics and Rehabilitation at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha. The Barrs take Thaddeus to the institute for physical and occupational therapy throughout the year, and it was there that they learned about the Wheel Club in the center's recreational therapy department.
The Munroe-Meyer Wheel Club lets children and parents use special bikes that allow those with physical disabilities the ability to enjoy the outdoor activity. Each bike has a large rear wheel underneath the cyclist's seat and two smaller front wheels underneath a spacious yellow rider's seat. Parents can strap their children inside the apparatus before hopping on their own seat to begin their tandem journey.
Steve, who had completed triathlons in Norfolk, Hastings and North Platte over the past few years, thought the special bike might allow the family to participate in the Pathfinder Duathlon at John C. Fremont Days. Duathlon participants run two miles, bike 12 miles and run two more miles around Fremont during the annual event, which draws people from across eastern Nebraska and western Iowa. It would all be doable if Steve and Thaddeus used a running stroller and the new bike.
When Steve called Munroe-Meyer to inquire about the possibility of using a bike, the response was positive. Not only would the institute allow the Barrs to borrow a bike for the duathlon, but staff members would also transport it to Fremont to make the experience as worry-free as possible.
That set the tone for an unforgettable day for the family. Steve and Kasey left their Buccaneer Bay home with Thaddeus, 4-year-old twins Maggie and Betsy and 6-month-old daughter Ellen Sunday morning, and the Barrs soon found themselves surrounded by Fremont residents willing to help. Fremont Middle School staff opened the facility's track for Steve and Thaddeus to use to warm up, and many race volunteers congratulated the Barrs as they crossed the finish line later that morning.
"They were really great with us," Steve said. "It was just a great experience all around. The people up at Fremont were really nice and we had a lot of help from everyone."
The Barr team finished the duathlon in one hour, 38 minutes, which put the tandem last in the field. But finishing first wasn't the point. Enjoying the sun-soaked skies around Fremont was.
"There was one point that I could hear Thaddeus laughing as we were going down a pretty big hill," Steve said. "You could tell he was really noticing what was going on and really enjoying it. That was pretty special to experience."
"It was very emotional," Kasey said. "For me it was a really good day. It was really fun to watch the two of them together."
The duathlon experience went so well that Steve is planning to compete with Thaddeus in the Plattsmouth Triathlon next month. Steve will push Thaddeus in a small inflatable boat while swimming the first part of the race, and he will then use the same stroller for the running portion and special bike for the cycling section.
The Barrs won't own the fastest time at Plattsmouth's triathlon or at any other event they race in. But the family will be able to feel more satisfaction from simply competing than they could find from any first-place medal or trophy.
"One of the goals of this is to show people that recreation is for everyone. It's not just for 'regular people,'" Steve said. "Hopefully this can help others find ways to try something like this and can show people that things like this are possible. It was just really rewarding for all of us, and I hope others can experience that too."
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