Four Australian men have embarked on an epic journey across the outback on their quad bikes for charity. Even more remarkable is the fact that they have all previously been injured in motor accidents and will be re-visiting the scene of their accidents. They have undertaken the quest in order to raise public awareness about back and spine injuries.
Jim Cairns, who is part of the team, was involved in a crash near Birdsville in 1985 and was left paraplegic. He will be visiting the town for the first time since his accident, and admits he is nervous despite looking forward to tackling the outback.
Although he has reservations about using his wheelchair in the sand, he’s relishing the chance to let rip on his all-terrain vehicle. He commented:
“You get a wheelchair into the sand and you move backwards and forwards once or twice and you start to turn it into quicksand.
“With the help of these quad bikes, we could do it. We’re all just absolutely looking forward to it.
“It will give us that little bit of independence and fun that we seek. Obviously what we seek in our whole life is independence.”
The fact that some of the men have limited mobility demonstrates the increasing popularity of quad biking, and shows that anyone can be a part of it. The rise in participants has been driven by the thriving market for second hand quad bikes available from reputable dealers, meaning that there is a cheap, inexpensive entry point into the sport.