The Community Says:
Juan Carlos has decided to give up owning a car to reduce his carbon footprint. He came with the idea of attaching a wheeled luggage to the rear rack of a folding bike with excellent results for traveling by bus, train or even by plane.... pretty amazing! When he was coming back from Philadelphia after taking a bus back to D.C., a young boy and his father stopped to ask him about his bike. What drew their attention was that he was pulling his suitcase attached to the rear rack by bungee cords. They were amazed at how he pulled it (with great ease), without the need of a taxi or a car.
Juan Carlos is inspirational by his example to others of how you can live your life doing ordinary, everyday activities with a bike and without the need to have a car. Neighbors comment on what good mileage he gets doing all of his shopping and errands with his outfitted Burley trailer attached to the back of his bike - ready for grocery shopping or even carrying large items from locations many miles away.
Juan Carlos has impacted others and has been an example to kids in the neighborhood and nieces and nephews. He is particularly amazing in how much he rides because he has a disability, and the bicycle has been an alternative to him for walking. Rather than use a brace, he rides a bike and can get anywhere.
Inspiration: "My love for preserving as much green, open landscapes as possible everywhere (and not just in parks and other protected areas). We need to build more people-friendly cities, where we can share the things we value the most: clean air and water. The Earth is too beautiful to fill with waste."
"I want to inspire to all of those who think they cannot be happy if they don't consume more and more every day. In the process, I also want to show how to overcome a disability with a little bit of imagination."
- Judge's comments:
- "Juan Carlos has taken his disability and transformed extraordinarily into an opportunity. Giving up a car is pretty gutsy for someone with the use of one leg. But because Juan Carlos's world view is that all this beauty must be appreciated, protected and accessible to all. By His actions he challenges us to fill up on what is natural and free rather than burying ourselves and our planet in our consumerism."
- "Juan Carlos' commitment to a simpler, greener way of life would be exceptional if he had the use of both legs. I'll bet a lot of people think Juan is insane; they should check back in 20 years!"
- "[Juan Carlos stands out] because of his dedication to cycling. His story of towing the luggage and the trip from Philadelphia was wonderful. Only later, when re-reading his bio after I selected him as an outstanding cyclist did I notice that he had been afflicted with polio. That makes his dedication even more inspirational..."
- What makes Juan Carlos extraordinary is the fact he is a polio survival; in other words, he only uses the strength of his left leg to ride his bike. He uses a modified Burley trailer to carry groceries.
