Aaron Trent is not letting cerebral palsy slow him down as he heads to

Aaron Trent Photo by Pamela Edwards Colorado to train for the Paracycling Track World Championships.

Aaron Trent is on his way to Colorado Springs to train at the Olympic Training Center. In July, the 23–year–old cyclist won first place in the 1K event in the US Paracycling Track National Championships. He will be training in Colorado beginning September 23 to compete in the Paracycling Track World Championships in Manchester, England, in November. His ultimate goal is to ride in the 2012 Paralympics.

Just a few short years ago, these races would not have been possible for Aaron. When he was four months old, Aaron had a severe allergic reaction to penicillin that caused him to suffer a stroke leaving him with hemiplegic cerebral palsy, a type of cerebral palsy that affects one side of the body — in Aaron’s case, his left side. His left leg is smaller and weaker than his right, and his left arm and hand were affected the most. A muscle release surgery and two tendon transfers at the Shriner’s Hospital in Greenville when he was 12 tremendously increased the functionality in Aaron’s left hand. A botox injection a few years later relaxed the spastic muscles in his arm.

Aaron Trent will compete in the Paracycling Track World Championships in Manchester, England, in November. In 2007, Aaron bought a bike and began riding. He entered his first race just five months later.

Aaron says that although cerebral palsy has made his body weaker in some ways, it has turned him into a hard worker with a knack for overcoming challenges. He trains 15 to 25 hours a week riding nearly 300 miles. He does extra exercises to strengthen his left leg and arm to give him a faster start in cycling races.

The oldest of eight children, Aaron was home schooled, then attended the University of South Carolina for four years before deciding to take some time off to train for the Paracycling Championships. He studied economics at USC but is thinking about changing his focus to sports therapy. He says he would like to encourage people with disabilities to get involved in sports.