Mississippi State’s iCanBike Camp teaches individuals with special needs biking independence

Mississippi State University’s Department of Kinesiology is hosting their third annual iCanBike Camp May October 19-23 in the McCarthy Gymnasium on Mississippi State’s Starkville campus. 

The camp teaches participants with special needs how to independently ride a two-wheel bicycle and is offered in partnership with the non-profit charity iCan Shine. iCan Shine is a national organization that works with local organizations to host camps in individual communities. Staff members travel the country conducting the camps and have an average success rate of 80%. Participants attend one 75-minute session each day for five consecutive days.

Dr. Gregg Twietmeyer, assistant professor of kinesiology at Mississippi State, said the benefits are two-fold: one, participants can learn the joys of riding a bike, which can lead to increased self-esteem, self-confidence, physical fitness and peer inclusion; and two, Mississippi State University students, who volunteer as spotters for the riders, get to see firsthand the important role of physical activity and play in human well-being and culture.

“Our goal is to significantly increase enrollment in 2020. This is the only camp in Mississippi and one of only a handful across the entire southern region. The more kids enrolled in the camp means the more kids we can help discover the joys of riding a bike,” Twietmeyer said.

To be eligible to register for the camp, participants must be at least 8 years old and have a diagnosed disability. Campers must have a minimum inseam of 20 inches, weigh less than 220 pounds and be able to walk without assistive devices. Teens and adults also are welcome to participate.

The registration fee is $100 and limited scholarships are available for those in need. Riders who attend Starkville Public Schools can attend the camp for free due to a partnership between Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District (SOCSD) and Mississippi State University. 

For more information on registration or volunteering, visit bulldogbike.msstate.edu. 

For more information on registering via the partnership with SOCSD, contact Julie Jones, Starkville Schools Director of Student Support Services at jujones@starkville.k12.ms.us nor 662-615-0059.

Established in 1903, MSU’s College of Education is now home to six academic departments, one research unit and numerous service units. For more about the college, visit //www.educ.msstate.edu/.

MSU is Mississippi’s leading university, available online at www.msstate.edu. 

MSU PHOTO ID: (Photos by Logan Kirkland)