The fact that Dejan Zafirov lost one leg and injured the other in a work accident hasn't stopped him from his goal of bicycling around the world.
The Macedonian cyclist rolled into San Francisco on Friday after completing a two-month cross-country ride on his fully loaded bicycle.
He already has toured on his bicycle in South America, Europe, and Asia. His tour across the US was launched to inspire his fellow countrymen and raise money for adaptive sports equipment at home through his Citizens Association Gaia.
Dejan rides his bicycle with a prosthetic right leg to compensate for his above-the-knee amputation. Starting out, he said the prosthetic leg made him totally change his
style of bicycling, but he and his body have adapted to the changes.
He wants to share his message of “mobility” with the entire world.
Laws, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act, require that buildings and activities be accessible to people regardless of their handicaps. Dejan says those designs elements are missing in Macedonia's infrastructure.
The same goes with adaptive sports equipment, which is limited to the most basic in his country.
Dejan wants to inspire disabled Macedonians to become more active. He hosts a summer camp for teens — Stars on Earth — in his native country and is raising funds to make prosthetic limbs more available.
The 33-year-old plans to bicycle across six continents in three-year period, covering about 15,000 miles.
His November arrival in San Francisco required an early winter crossing of the Sierra Nevada, which included pedaling through the snow at Lake Tahoe.
Leaving New York City in September, Dejan basically followed the TransAmerica route west to Pueblo, then followed the Route 50 corridor over the Rockies at Monarch Pass and continued through Utah and the “loneliest road in America” in Nevada.
At his blog, Dejan wrote at the finish (translated):
“What a wonderful experience filled with all sorts of experiences, from heavy to magic, from solitude to wonderful relationships. … I feel internally fed.”
The Gaia website has photos and a blog from his travels (see “news”); he has a Facebook page as well.
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