Riverside cyclist with CMT trains for Paralympics

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Riverside cyclist trains for Paralympics

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By Laurie Lucas

When Zahn and his teammates meet for coffee, no one brings a

handicapped-parking permit, even though most are triple amputees.

They joke about throwing a spare prosthetic leg on the dashboard

instead.

" We don't dwell on our disabilities or racing talk, " Zahn said.

Zahn, who was born with a degenerative neuromuscular

condition that attacks the muscles, recently captured the bronze

medal in the road time trial at the Para-Cycling World Championships

in France. Pushing past their physical challenges, winning cycling

events and gunning for the Paralympics define and dominate their

lives.

Zahn, 32, of Riverside, recently captured the bronze medal in the

road time trial at the Para-Cycling World Championships in Bordeaux,

France. He rode 19.8 kilometers in 31 minutes, 12 seconds. His goal

is to qualify for the Beijing 2008 Paralympics Games next September.

" Para, " which means " beside " or " along side, " refers to a parallel

Olympics. The Paralympics allows elite athletes to compete in

categories according to the nature and severity of their handicap.

Zahn was born with a degenerative neuromuscular condition known as

Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT) that affects 1 in 2,500 people in

this country. Because the disorder attacks the muscles, which weaken

and atrophy in the lower legs and hands, Zahn competes against

triple amputees or their muscular equivalents.

Kaptain, 63, cycles with Zahn several times a week.

" I'm so impressed with him, " said the retired school

administrator. " He wears himself out, but he works right through it

and rides as if he has no handicap. "

Zahn's wife of two years, Deane, 27, said it's never an

issue " unless he asks me to zip up his jacket " or when people

ask, " Why are your husband's legs so skinny? "

Introduced at a party by a mutual friend, Deane said she was

immediately attracted to his red hair and personality. A graduate

student in entomology at UCR, Deane equates her husband's love of

racing to hers for insects.

" I understand and support the sacrifices he makes for his passion, "

she said.

Between training camp and racing competitions, Zahn misses three

months of work a year. As owner and manager of 's Cyclery in

the Canyon Crest Towne Centre in Riverside, Zahn scrambles for

donations to pay his living expenses during the hiatus.

The oldest of four children, Zahn was diagnosed with CMT when he was

14 and suffered knee pain while trying to play football at Poly

High. Undaunted, he began bicycle racing the next year.

" We sort of figured he could deal with his disability, " said his

father, Larry Zahn, 60, a retired professor in UCR's graduate school

of management. " He had surgery on one foot, but decided not to have

it on the other. But it made him more determined. He kept riding

with everybody in regular races. "

After qualifying for the US Paralympic Cycling Team three years ago,

Zahn has only pressed forward, injuries notwithstanding. He trains

up to 12 hours a week with " able-bodied " cyclers and works 60 hours

a week in his store.

He has broken his nose, chipped his pelvis and suffered a

concussion. Because he lacks sensation and muscle tone in his hands

and feet, he shifts gears with his knuckles and uses his hips for

control. Customized shoes with cleats lock into his bike pedals.

" If I'm sweaty, my hands can slip off the bars, " he said. " I also

have a problem standing up on the bike because my ankles are so weak

and unstable. "