Paralympian Shawn Cheshire plans to ride solo in New York City's 100-mile Century Ride this weekend, aiming to become its first blind solo finisher. She is also serving as this year's NYC Century Bike Tour grand marshal.
Cheshire, 51, rides a single bike while listening for road sounds, feeling changes in the surface and following directions from a guide. She says managing those demands alongside traffic is harder than balancing.
The Flagstaff, Arizona, athlete lost her sight after a head injury sustained while working as an EMT in 2009. A 13-time national paracycling champion, she competed at the first Invictus Games in London and the 2016 Rio Paralympics. A documentary about her 2021 cross-country ride, Blind AF, is set to premiere October 28.
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