SPRINGDALE, Ark. (KFTA)–An inclusive event called “Freedom Ride” brought people with and without disabilities to bike, jog or walk one of three courses. The three-ride experience was hosted through a partnership between Lewis & Clark Outfitters and Buckmasters NWA.
“They asked me if I wanted to join, I said I’d ask my mom,” said Jayton Bartholmey, 12, of Farmington. “It took her a while to say yes, but she did.”
Bartholmey is one of more than 140 people who took part in Saturday’s event. He was born with a birth defect in his left leg, and it was amputated when he was still a baby. He received his first prosthetic leg when he was 10 months old, and he now switches between different versions depending on if he’s walking or running.
Bartholmey said he ran 2.5 miles when he last ran in a similar event.
“The time doesn’t really matter to me,” Bartholmey said. “It’s just how far I can go just nonstop running.”
The courses were filled with breakout games and obstacle courses for riders or walkers to stop and engage.
All the money raised through the event went to organizations like Buckmasters NWA that deal specifically with people who are physically limited so that they can purchase often-expensive equipment to use in similar programs.