Name: Rome Leykin
Age: 36
Hometown: Stamford, Connecticut
Occupation: Senior Web Developer (before my accident)
Time Hand Cycling: Nearly 3 years
Reason for Hand Cycling: To qualify for other marathons, including Boston. My goal is to complete the six World Marathon Majors journey across the world!
The accident that changed my life occurred on February 2, 2018, around 9:30 a.m. I suffered a seizure on my commute to work that caused me to fall on the subway tracks and get hit by a train, which resulted in the loss of both of my legs. I’m foggy on the details because I go unconscious whenever I’ve had a seizure in the past. What I remember is walking down into the subway platform and later that night, waking up in the hospital.
The immediate aftermath wasn’t pretty, because I also suffered a traumatic brain injury that left me with a scar on my head.
More From Runner's World
After the medics got me out from under the train, I was taken to Elmhurst Hospital in Queens, where they essentially saved my life. When I came to, I realized I had lost both legs above my knees. It took me at least three to five days to figure out I couldn’t turn time backward, and then six to eight months to realize the doctors couldn’t grow my legs back.
One of the things that helped me heal during my recovery was handcycling. I learned about handcycling in late 2019 or early 2020, through the Achilles International Organization, while I was recovering at the Burke Rehabilitation Facility in New York. When Achilles introduced me to handcycling, I took to it immediately. What was so attractive about it to me was the fact that riding a hand bike lets you go fast, ride hard, and compete with others again. And the best part of all is you don’t need legs to do it!
When I first started riding, I did not have my own hand bike yet. I would ride a few times a month, weather permitting, in Central Park with the Achilles crew. I didn’t follow a specific training plan or apps—I just did hard riding. But I did participate in a few big events in NYC, specifically the Five Boro Bike Tour, a 40-mile bike tour that goes through all five boroughs of NYC, and more recently, the Donut Ride, which goes through Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens, stopping at the best doughnut shops.
Since getting my own bike earlier this year, my biking schedule has greatly improved since last year. The Challenged Athletes Foundation granted me my own Top End Force RX hand bike, and now I try to go handcycling two to three times a week—twice to Central Park and once to the Bronx with the Achilles crew, where I try to get in 20 to 25 miles of biking. I also bike at home when I can, around my neighborhood.
Handcycling is a great sport I can still do, despite my injury. Last year was my first New York City Marathon and I took all the inspiration from the crowd, and now it’s my turn to give the inspiration back to that same crowd and many more all around the world. The ability to do that year in, year out, day in, day out, is what inspires me to ride in the NYC Marathon again this year.
My immediate goal for the race is to qualify for the Boston Marathon. I’m extremely excited for that race, and Chicago, Detroit, and many others. The World Marathon Majors is on also on my list, in which you complete the six major marathons across the world, including Tokyo, Boston, London, NYC, Chicago, and Berlin. I also am training for the Paralympics.
Currently I’m in a hand bike, but I do have running blades—and one of my goals is to transition from biking to running a marathon.
Handcycling gives me the opportunity to go fast again and to have wind blowing through my hair. Also, the inclusion of other adaptive athletes in this sport has brought meaningful competition back into my life. Being able to compete with others on my level makes me feel energized and strong, and lets me know the sweat is worth it.
These three tips have made my handcycling journey a success:
1. Build strength
Go to the gym and work the upper body. Biceps, chest, arms, back—lots of back!
2. Focus on endurance
Handcycle further and further each time you go out for a long ride to bring up your endurance. It also helps with your breathing.
3. Get advice
Keep asking others that are going through what you’re going through for their advice. Chances are they’ll lead you in the right direction. Also, ask others that have handcycled in your situation what type of bike they liked. There are different variations and they can all be modified to however a disabled person needs them to be.
Rome’s Must-Have Gear
→ MOREOK Cycling Gloves: I love these because of the padding and resilience.
→ Shinmax Bike Helmet: This is a bike helmet with a visor. I love having an easy clip-0n visor to protect against the elements (if it’s wet or the sun shines), but it always looks good.
→ ROCKBROS Bike Bottle Cage Adapter: I love these hand bike bottle holders because they hold my water and Gatorade on the back of my bike.
→ Geyoga Helmet Cap: I love these helmet caps because they keep my head cool under the helmet and keep the sweat out of my face, too.
Emily Shiffer is a freelance health and wellness writer living in Pennsylvania.
