Lincoln Special Olympic Athletes Train For Strider Cup

LINCOLN SPECIAL OLYMPIC ATHLETES TRAIN FOR STRIDER CUP

Special Olympic athletes in Lincoln are now training for the City’s first Strider Cup Race from
9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday, June 11 in the Railyard. Most of the 23 athletes who are learning
to ride Strider Bikes are on the Lincoln Shooting Stars, a Special Olympics Nebraska team
sponsored by the Lincoln Parks and Recreation Department’s Easterday Recreation Center.

Strider Sports International donated 30 of the no-pedal balance bikes to Special Olympics
Nebraska, with 22 designated for Easterday. In addition to the 12-inch model for younger riders,
the company has in recent years developed 16-inch and 20-inch models for older children and
adults with balance and coordination challenges. A 2015 research study confirmed that riding a
Strider Bike improved stability scores of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Three Strider Cup training sessions have already been held in Lincoln, and two more are
planned. Media are invited to cover the training from 11 to 11:45 a.m. Saturday, May 14 at
Easterday, 6130 Adams Street.

“The training program is a wonderful opportunity for children and adults to overcome anxieties
about riding bikes in a fun setting with peers,” said Kerry Zingg, Easterday Center Director. “It
was so exciting to see such joy and enthusiasm from the youth who participated in our first week
of training. We look forward to seeing the youth develop confidence in their abilities in the
weeks to come.” Zingg said the athletes range in age from three to 16 years old.

The bikes were assembled by Scott Anderson, a Special Olympics athlete and part-time
employee at Special Olympics Nebraska; parents of those in the Young Athletes Program; and
Lincoln Parks and Recreation volunteers. Parks and Recreation Carpentry Maintenance staff
built two rumble bars and a bike ramp for the Strider Bike Program.

Special Olympics Nebraska CEO Carolyn Chamberlin said the agency is excited about the new
partnership with Strider Bikes. “Many of our athletes who previously could not ride a bicycle
are excelling on the Strider Bike, and it means so much to see them experience the thrill of riding
like their typically-abled peers,” she said.

“My son Matt struggled to learn how to ride a traditional bicycle, but excelled on his Strider
Bike,” said Alisa Hoffman, mother of Special Olympics Nebraska athlete Matt, 15. “He finally
learned how to balance while riding and has since become more independent in his play.”

The Special Olympic athletes will compete in the Special Needs Races during the Strider Cup,
presented by Raising Canes Chicken Fingers® franchise in Lincoln. Strider Cup attendees will
receive free admission to the Strider Adventure Zone, where riders can test ride all three sizes of
Strider Bikes. Helmets will be provided. The event is the first of three national Strider Cup
Races. Participants in the Lincoln event as well as those competing in Salt Lake City, Utah and
Spokane, Washington can qualify for the Strider World Championship presented by FedEx in
July in San Francisco.

This is the second year the series has included Special Needs Races for athletes of all ages and
abilities. Strider has waived the registration fee for athletes in these races. Strider works with
Special Olympics teams in each race city, but the races are open to any Strider Rider with special
needs. To register, contact education@striderbikes.com

 
ABOUT SPECIAL OLYMPICS NEBRASKA
Special Olympics Nebraska is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization founded in 1972. Its mission
is to provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type
sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. The athletes have continuing
opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy, and participate
in a sharing of gifts, skills and friendships with their families, other Special Olympics athletes
and the community. For more information, visit sone.org.

ABOUT STRIDER SPORTS INTERNATIONAL, INC.
Founded in 2007 and headquartered in Rapid City, South Dakota, Strider Sports designs
efficient, no-pedal balance bikes for children as young as 18 months, as well as for older riders
with special needs. Strider’s mission is to simplify a bike to its essence, so proper size, weight
and simplicity combine to eliminate any fear of riding, to instill confidence in the rider and to
help people learn to ride effectively on two wheels. Strider also manufactures balance bikes for
individuals with special needs and for seniors wanting to stay active later in life. The patented
Strider Balance Bikes focus on the fundamentals of balancing, leaning and steering without the
distractions and complications of pedals or training wheels. Strider Bikes are now distributed in
more than 75 countries. In 2015, Strider sold its one-millionth bike. For more information, visit
StriderBikes.com.