TUCSON, AZ (KOLD) – This weekend, thousands of bicyclists will take to the streets in the annual El Tour de Tucson. Among them will be George Hammel, whose personal journey has taken him from one-time professional racer, to paraplegic, to now, a profound inspiration.
“There’s nothing like being outdoors, and working to reach your goals,” George said. “It’s really liberating every time I get on the bike.”
Watching George ride his bicycle along the Rillito riverwalk is like watching a miracle in motion. That’s because his bike’s two wheels enable him to move around in a way his two feet can not.
“It’s a little difficult when I walk,” George said, as he uses special braces to push one foot in front of another, walking with a limp. “I have to almost look right in front of me, and if I look around, I might get off balance.”
Years ago, this one-time professional motocross racer suffered a serious crash, breaking several bones in his body, causing nerve damage, and paralyzing his legs.
“Honestly, I was pretty devastated,” he said. “I definitely cried.”
The spinal injury was so bad that George spent five years in a wheelchair. Doctors told him he would not walk again.
“I got a punching bag and I beat the living crap out of that thing,” George said. “I literally demolished it because I was so angry, and I wanted to get out of that wheelchair so bad.”
But thanks to years of fiery determination, intensive physical therapy, and special braces for his lower legs, George is back in the saddle again. He briefly returned to motocross racing, but another injury sidelined him for good.
While he can’t ride dirt bikes anymore, he considers El Tour de Tucson his next great challenge.
This weekend, he will be racing in the 42-mile route. But in the future, he plans to participate in the longer routes, which run over 100 miles long.
“I want to start working my way up,” he said. “And I’d like to be able to eventually do the full race.”
For someone who has broken more than 50 bones in his body from various biking accidents, George is proving that the sport hasn’t broken his spirit, but only strengthened it.
“I can’t run or do anything like that anymore,” he said. “So cycling is something that’s really, really special to me.”
And he hopes to encourage other athletes with injuries or disabilities to never stop reaching for the goals, no matter their physical limitations.
“They can still be active, and they can still do the stuff they love,” he added. “You don’t have to be in a wheelchair because there’s all kinds of different things you can do to make your body excel.”
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