Two organizations join forces to buy a hand-operated bicycle for an active Stewart Middle School student.
By Times Staff
Published October 26, 2004
ZEPHYRHILLS - Heather Haynie is getting her own hand cycle.
Not that the 13-year-old Stewart Middle School student hasn't been doing just fine without it.
Heather, who lost both her legs in an early childhood accident, regularly competes in sporting events for kids with disabilities.
This summer she won multiple medals in shot put, discus, javelin and chair racing at the National Junior Disability Championships, breaking a couple of her own national records along the way.
But the hand cycle - a bicycle with hand-operated pedals - is a special treat. Two local groups are each giving Heather $750 to buy the bike.
How did she react to the news?
"I was like, oh my gosh, finally!" she said Monday.
The Sgt. Major Curtin Marine Corps League 1124 will give Heather its portion of the money at a meeting tonight. The other $750 is coming from Peg Leg Pirates, a newly formed krewe in Tampa.
Alicia Lyons, public relations director for Shriners Hospitals for Children in Tampa, steered the groups to Heather.
"She's just a very independent, ambitious young woman, and this is really going to open up new opportunities for her," Lyons said.
Chuck Fulk, commandant of the Marine Corps League, calls Heather an inspiration to other young people.
"We thought (she had) a spirit we're used to seeing in Marines, not little kids," he said.
Heather traveled to Mesa, Ariz., to compete in the national competition. Next summer, it will be in her back yard. The University of South Florida is hosting the event.
She's also looking forward to the freedom the hand cycle will give her.
