Africa’s sole autistic cyclist, Phil Bertino, participated in his first major competition during the 2023 PruRide cycling event held in Accra. He took part in the amateur race of 17km and finished among the first 20 out of over one hundred cyclists. Though it was his first major competition together with abled cyclists, the young cyclist exhibited great strength and endurance to complete the one lap race with an average speed of 25.82km/hr. It was, however, a drop from his usual 23km/hr speed but that could be blamed on the fact that he was not familiar with the road and overwhelmed by the numbers. For a first-time competitor, he received a medal for his efforts. The event was held by Prudential Life Insurance as part of activities to mark their 175th Anniversary celebrations in collaboration with the Ghana Cycling Federation (GCF). The 16-year-old Young Phil said it was amazing to participate in the event and looked forward to more competitions in Ghana and across the globe. ‘It was a good race and I’m happy. I will be working hard to improve on my position next time,’ he stated. The Founder of Liztino Center for Children with Special Needs, Mrs Angel Acquah Bertino and mother of Young Phil praised her son for his courage. ‘This is the beginning of many things to happen. We have held cycling events over the years to create awareness on autism in Ghana and set out to take it outside the country,’ she stated. She disclosed that the fifth edition of Autism Awareness Creation through Cycling with Young Phil would be a ride from Ghana to Nigeria. ‘We would continue with our efforts to raise awareness on autism across the continent and certain it would yield good results,’ she stated. She called on the public to disregard the myths associated with autism and engage their children in healthy activities including cycling. The General Secretary of the GCF, Mr Mohammed Shaaban also commended the young cyclist for his efforts and encouraged more disabled persons to take up such challenges. ‘As a federation, we are working towards launching an initiative led by Young Phil to bring more disabled persons into the sport,’ he stated. He commended the parents and managers of Young Phil for their support while encouraging other parents to engage their children in cycling.
Source: Ghana News Agency