The Hardwick Trails committee extends heartfelt gratitude to all who attended the Best Day Ever documentary screening at the Jeudevine Library. It was a full house! For those unable to attend, this movie told the story of a few visionary folks in Richmond, Vermont, who believed deeply that ALL should have access to a sport they love. They decided to build a fully accessible (Universal Design) mountain biking trail network in town. Their vision inspired hundreds of volunteers to help construct the trail. Three years later they celebrated their achievement.
The documentary also follows the stories of Greg and Allie, both of whom experienced life changing spinal cord injuries, but, with the help of others, were able to resume their mountain biking passion. Both have also found joy in helping others who are struggling with physical and life challenges. In the words of the documentary producer Berne Broudy, “Our inclination is to feel badly for someone who has had an injury, but when someone doesn’t feel badly for themselves, it changes your perspective”. This documentary challenges the all-too-common stereotypes of people who are coping with physical disabilities. It asks that we honor each individual’s resilience in the face of adversity, and assume every person’s capacity to set and reach ambitious goals.
This movie reveals that Universal Designed trails can be just as gnarly and challenging as trails built without attention to access issues. It also affirmed that, when a town prioritizes equity for all, it can awaken a community to its responsibility to address this basic right. In the words of one young boy who worked on the project, “I know that if I had an injury and wasn’t able to ride and no one was making an effort for me, I would be upset and sad…It’s nice to share experiences where everyone can ride with people who are not necessarily riding the same way as you, but they can still ride”.
The Hardwick Trails Committee has made accessibility a priority, and is currently pursuing expertise to chart its next steps to achieve this goal. In the meantime, we continue to be grateful for our collaboration with the Adaptive Sports Partners (ASP) organization, the event co-sponsor. ASP brings adaptive bikes to town every Monday afternoon so that any resident in the area can experience the joy of riding on our LVRT trails. Due to ASP’s scholarship program no person is turned away due to their financial situation. To participate, or to donate, please reach out to Kerry Hussey at [email protected] or 802-427-4116 so that she can ensure that she has the right bike and support team for you.
After seeing the Best Day Ever, Angie Grace and her husband Dave decided to give the ASP adaptive bike riding program a try. In Angie’s words, “I felt it was freeing to safely ride a bike again without fear of falling over at age 89”.
If you missed the movie showing, the Best Day Ever is being screened at Stowe Cider on August 21 and in East Burke on September 29 (https://www.bestdayever.mov/watch).