Hello to all our members. My name is Mike Sprouse. I was a Marine for eight years. In 2003 I was injured while on my civilian job. This left me in a wheelchair.

I was very heavy into weight lifting at the time of my accident. So, after a year of rehab I was trying to get back into weight lifting again. But it wasn't going so well.

One day in 2005, while at rehab, I met a wheelchair racer. We began to talk about his sport and I was interested. He’s the man who introduced me to handcycling. I bought my first bike two months later and ran in my first race six months after that. It was in Myrtle Beach. There were twelve athletes in that race, four of whom were known to be ‘elite’ athletes, meaning they were top of the line, definite winner-types. I finished second. I was definitely hooked.

One year later I met Geoff Hopkins, the National Sports Director of the PVA and I was asked to race for them. Since then I have become known as one of the top competitors in the sport of handcycling. I am currently 4 time defending champion and I hold the course record for the Ft. Lauderdale Marathon. I’ve won 3 of the last 5 South Florida Marathons, finishing second and third in the others and set a new course record in one.

I am now the Sports and Recreation Director & Handcycling Specialist for the Central Florida Chapter. My goal is to make other veterans aware of all the benefits and opportunities that are available for them, not only in handcycling, but in other sports as well. I want to help our chapter grow stronger, giving us the wherewithal to help other veterans in the future.

The PVA has a great sports program, it is our option to reach out and participate in the sport of our choice. In the future I’d like to meet members and be able to say, “My sport’s handcycling, what’s yours?” and get a positive answer.

We have lots of events coming up in the next few months. You may find them on our web site. I look forward to seeing you there. For more info, call the chapter office. Or email me at mikedsprouse@yahoo.com

Mike Sprouse

Click the below image to return