ࡱ > '` bjbj .( & * 2 F L > 1* 3* 3* 3* 3* 3* 3* $ + h L. v W* W* > l* > 1* 1* : % , e : %_ K R Q 1* * 0 * [ . F . e e . * , , E W* W* * $ $ CORSE, Rec. Department offer bike program By Brian P. Nanos Scituate - Tripper Donnelly, 8, from Duxbury, used to ride bikes with the training wheels on all the time. Then a few years ago, according to his mother Christine he just stopped riding altogether. On July 10, Tripper was back on a bike this time without the training wheels. Tripper was one of 35 children who enrolled in the Lose The Training Wheels event at Gates Intermediate School in Scituate last week. The five-day program, cosponsored by Scituate Community of Resources for Special Education Foundation (CORSE) and the Scituate Recreation Department, helped children with special needs learn to balance on two-wheel bicycles. Even before Tripper graduated from the programs special training-wheeled bike to the two-wheeler, Christine Donnelly said the week had been great for her son. The whole thing is just a confidence-builder, which is huge, she said. He leaves, hes just smiling. When Lose the Training Wheels counselor Lisa Ruby decided it was time for Tripper to try the two-wheeler, Christine alternated between joy and fear that her son would fall and erase the entire weeks confidence gains. Each time Trippers bike would lean a bit too far into a turn, his mother would interrupt under-her-breath chants of Go Trip, go Trip, go Trip with a gasp. But each time Tripper leaned a little too far, Ruby or a camp volunteer would grab the handle on the back of his bike and pull him up straight. Lose the Training Wheels is a nationwide organization that owns five fleets of bicycles equipped with the organizations special training wheels and handles. Last week in Scituate was the first time the program had been offered in Massachusetts, and from there the bikes along with Ruby and another company employee, Sam Glasco left for Virginia. The program started students out on bikes with tube-shaped wheels to prevent tipping over and then gradually worked them up to a regular two-wheeler. On each day, the children, who were matched with local volunteers, rode their bikes around the Gates gymnasium. At times, Ruby would ride with one of the children on a tandem bike, which she said allowed her to get a feel for how well-balanced the student was. It also helped get the student back in the groove. Sometimes you just lose focus, Ruby said. Its a long time to ride a bike in a circle. At the same time, she said riding on the tandem bike gave the students, many of whom were hesitant to ride fast on their own, a chance to feel the wind in their face. According to Ruby, the organization has an 85 percent success rate for getting the students on two-wheel bikes by the end of the week. Last Thursday, both Tripper and Cormac McDaid, 9, from Hingham, made the transition while their mothers watched with nervous excitement from the sidelines. Cormac had spent most of the first day of camp working up the courage to get on a bike. Yesterday I was discouraged, his mother Beth said as he tried the two-wheeler. Today is amazing. According to Marynell Henry, co-founder of CORSE, anxiety is common among the children who attend camp. The first day we spend a lot of time getting them comfortable, getting them on a bike, she said. Next to Beth McDaid and Christine Donnelly sat Pat and Bill Dailey from Abington, who cheered for their grandson Zachary Johnson. Zachary had traveled to the camp from New Hampshire, and though he had not yet graduated from the training wheels, he was making his way determinedly around the gym. His grandparents had given him hints that they might buy him a new bike. (This camp is) work, Pat Dailey explained. Its not a camp for just play. Its helping. When Zachary came over to get a drink, he painted a rosier picture of the camp. Its pretty fun, he said. Khrystyne Swain, the volunteer paired with him said, Zachs doing awesome. After Thursdays riding session ended, Zachary and Tripper posed together for a picture. Then Tripper posed alone with the two-wheeler he had been steering around the gym. Some people, when they get their picture taken, smile. Others say, cheese. At the end of Lose the Training Wheels, Tripper Donnelly said, I ride bikes. INCLUDEPICTURE "http://www.wickedlocal.com/scituate/archive/x1768847770/g258258c40409990b63e313fcffef003be0396042b79152.jpg" \* MERGEFORMATINET Photo by Robin ChanMegan Clark, 15, left, of Scituate braces for impact while catching her partner Tripper Donnelly, 8, of Duxbury while he practices riding on a two-wheel bike without any training wheels. Lisa Ruby, right, is the floor supervisor with Lose the Training Wheels and ran the weeklong program at Scituate.Image 1 of 4 INCLUDEPICTURE "http://www.wickedlocal.com/scituate/archive/x2043510327/g258258630a9727bb8fd53f55a99f624bcc73630759af79.jpg" \* MERGEFORMATINET Photo by Robin ChanChristine Donnelly, left, of Duxbury and Beth McDaid of Hingham have their cameras ready to record the moment their children gained the confidence needed to ride a bike.Image 2 of 4 INCLUDEPICTURE "http://www.wickedlocal.com/scituate/archive/x469160785/g258258993169b66241a494f6a6e60ea84c80fd33f69f26.jpg" \* MERGEFORMATINET Photo by Robin ChanPat Dailey of Abington pats her grandson Zachary Johnson, 8, of Warner, N.H. on the head during a break in the action.Image 3 of 4 INCLUDEPICTURE "http://www.wickedlocal.com/scituate/archive/x223010361/g25825892ae7041353b2bdcf792f4573b757ebe11933786.jpg" \* MERGEFORMATINET Photo by Robin ChanCormac McDaid, 9, of Hingham tries his hand at a two-wheeler.Image 4 of 4 z { $ ^ b c U V W X Y Z m ԥԕvvjvfh7 j h7 UmH sH j h7 UmH sH h7 5\mH sH h7 mH sH jJU hb,8 UmH sH hb,8 j hb,8 UmH sH hb,8 B*mH ph sH hb,8 5\mH sH j- hb,8 UmH sH j hb,8 UmH sH hb,8 mH sH hm+ mH sH h j hV`q h U ( - ? K V ] > - V z H x 2 h]hgdb,8 gdb,8 gdb,8 gdb,8 $a$gd 2 + z ^ _ ` a b Y Z gd7 gdb,8 h]hgdb,8 h7 , 1h/ =!"#$% - D d J 0 # A b ajB>6`- D n} ajB>6`-PNG IHDR 3 eL sRGB PLTE fKL%gh dd aa \\ YY VV SS PP NN KK II EE AA ;;kkbbZZSSFE!ssVVOO$^]3||4nn4ddJHyyBllftƻЩs̳ 6Ix IDAThCZvȒlmr [ o@ Cs#r073uK̈7##83PAeM$o-iQ15,U_ƋKziXrfJO6qN_Xd`uwYot%M H-GHЯ6~+F}(Zj;lgn-3EK3I`뫲UU'e=HdZxX9ԝ[ oGh~"W;̕GҐKvN\%3MAb1rޡm#942UuQKYa]9L5T JiÜ9D5yɄsHW˹@ 501ZV.z[bs Jg9!iag(K2{k;Qv2d'gz|s[' t/ߥ^N; Ӣ$uҎ6 c0Z .Լ]4n5YD9[-g,6VK2jZaY%n&j{oas&m/ֶ!9MnC c}?`gaK. j5Zc4g)%Iڐl_nϰmdM9$[Kin!i$mj!phlXրiY3BX+vo4}¸/9ύ~1->Mj/:f