Author Mike H. Mizrahi joins forces with iCan Shine

Proceeds from new book will help organization

hold bicycle camps for children with disabilities

Learning to ride a bicycle for the first time is a momentous occasion for anyone, but it can be life-changing for children and young adults with disabilities. Author Mike H. Mizrahi, who recently released his debut novel, The Great Chattanooga Bicycle Race (Redemption Press), has partnered with nonprofit organization iCan Shine to help teach children with disabilities to learn to ride a bike. Mizrahi will donate 50% of the proceeds from the sale of each book to iCan Shine, Inc.

iCan Shine is an international 501(c)(3) charitable nonprofit organization that teaches children, teens and young adults with disabilities to ride a conventional two-wheel bicycle. The nonprofit conducts more than 100 five-day iCan Bike programs in 35 US states and four provinces in Canada, serving approximately 3,000 people with disabilities each year. 

Mizrahi hopes to provide those with disabilities the chance to discover they’re a natural on the “wheel,” much like The Great Chattanooga Bicycle Race’s 19-year-old Anna Gaines, who is disabled and discovers her love of bicycling after a visit to Brooklyn. Upon returning home, she becomes the first woman to ride the streets of Chattanooga, clad in bloomers, a risqué move at the turn of the 20th century.

“Imagine the smiles on the faces of kids and young adults with disabilities as they experience a newfound freedom on the seat of a two-wheeler,” Mizrahi says. "I’m thrilled to dedicate my new novel to [iCan Shine’s] continuation. The young, female character in my story, set in 1895, finds this same independence on the seat of a bicycle. The tie-in is perfect.”

“Learning to ride a two-wheeler is a rite of passage for most children, but not a guarantee for children with disabilities,” says Lisa Ruby, founder and executive director of iCan Shine, Inc. “Learning to ride increases self-confidence and independence. Biking brings a new family recreational activity as well as potential independent transportation for people with disabilities. Mike Mizrahi’s character Anna is a beautiful testimony to the courage, perseverance and accomplishment of all riders with a disability.” 

Learn more about and purchase a copy of The Great Chattanooga Bicycle Race at www.mikehmizrahi.com. You can also find Mike on Facebook (AuthorMikeMizrahi) and Twitter (@MikeHMiz). Learn more about iCan Shine at www.iCanShine.org.