A "complete" spinal cord injury means having no voluntary motor or conscious sensory function below the injury site. |
 Tara stopped next to a lineup of new bikes at Obession:Bikes; the North Vancouver bike shop that will be building her new off-road hand bike. |
Diagnosed with a complete spinal cord injury following a crash at the Jeep King of the Mountain race in 2007, Tara Llanes has worked hard to build a complete life without limitations. After years of a successful professional BMX and downhill racing career, including 2 US national championships, 4 World Championship medals and 4 ESPN X-Games medals, Tara has developed a focus and drive that continues to serve her in every challenge she faces. Most recently Tara is preparing to get back on technical riding trails for the first time since her accident.
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| Now a sales rep for Pearl Izumi, Tara works from home, surrounded by bike and rehabilitation equipment. |
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| Tara recently received her permanent residency in Canada and now lives in North Vancouver with her wife, Elladee, in a rancher that they renovated. |
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| Before moving in, Tara and Elladee renovated their house, including the addition of a steam shower to help Tara with her poor circulation. |
Two years after her accident, which included intensive rehabilitation at Craig Hospital and time working with Project Walk, Tara was ready to put her competitive nature back to work. She had her sights set on completing the Hawaii Iron Man at the end of 2009. Unfortunately a long and painful recovery after undergoing surgery to enlarge her bladder caused her to miss the qualifications for the Iron Man. The surgery allowed to her to train for longer periods of time with proper hydration and, while she missed her initial goal, the surgery gave given her a lot more freedom in her daily life. Reflecting on her decision to pursue the Iron Man event, Tara says that she needed a focus that was different than mountain biking. Her love for the sport is so strong that she didn’t want to participate in something similar for fear of comparing her new experiences to her old ones.
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| Originally her mom's dog, Miya has been inseparable from Tara since her accident. When Tara moved to Canada, her mom surprised her by flying Miya up to live with her. |
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| Miya always has a watchful eye on Tara, no matter where she is in the house. |
Now four years post accident Tara will be back on her very own mountain bike for the first time, thanks to the generosity and support of her friends, family and even people she has never met. Her friend, Chantal Felten, spearheaded fundraising to purchase a three-wheel off-road hand bike for Tara. In only a few weeks they raised the required $7000 and the bike was delivered to Obsession: Bikes on November 9. The mechanics at the shop are excited to be a part of the project, as it’s not everyday they have the opportunity to build up a custom three-wheel hand bike from Poland. 'The Explorer', made by Sport-On, is the only off-road hand-cycle with suspension.
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| Tara's friends fundraised over $7000 to purchase an off-road hand bike for her from a manufacturer in Poland. |
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| Lou, the mechanic who will be building Tara's bike, Elladee and Tara discuss additional parts the bike will require. |
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| Photos of Tara's new hand bike were quickly shared around facebook, a testament to the enthusiasm of her friends and supporters. |
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| The chance to build a customized three-wheel hand bike is rare and Lou has embraced the opportunity with creativity and enthusiasm. |
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| Lou measures the width of Tara's bike; another employee at Obsession: Bikes has volunteered to measure 'tight' spots on the local mountain bike trails so that Tara will know which trails she can ride. |
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| A BionX hub will be added to Tara's bike, providing an electric propulsion system to assist her with climbing hills. |
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| This new bike will allow Tara to ride with her wife, who is equally passionate about riding, for the first time. |
This new bike represents more than an opportunity for Tara to check out our famous North Shore mountain bike trails, it is an opportunity for her to participate in the community that she has remained a big part of since her accident. She has maintained strong ties to the mountain bike community including putting on the Tara Llanes Classic, a race that raises funds for spinal cord research and rehabilitation facilities and well as working as a sales rep for Pearl Izumi.
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| Tara and Elladee's house is filled with reminders of their love and passion for life. |
Tara is still pushing herself, finding solutions for the challenges that she faces and making an impact on the bike industry.
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| Tara, Elladee and Miya spend some quality time together at home. |
Stay tuned for a follow up as Tara's bike is completed and she checks out what the North Shore has to offer!
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