By 8:45 a.m. on a clear Tuesday morning, Joey Prohaska is as ready as ever to ride his bike.
In a sunny corner at the back of Barkley Village, he stands beside his coach, April Katz, gently rocking back and forth in excited anticipation. Prohaska is a non-speaking autistic adult, which means focus and regulation can be difficult — but as he mounts his bike, it’s clear to see he’s in his element. He glides smoothly around a bend onto a nearby gravel trail, wearing a big smile as he picks up speed and rides ahead of Katz.
Morning rides are nothing new for Prohaska, but this week he’s also fresh off a major accomplishment: completing the 42-mile road bike course at Bellingham’s annual Ski to Sea relay, as part of The AIROW Project’s first-ever adaptive team.
Adaptive and Inclusive Recreation of Whatcom County — The AIROW Project — aims to create recreational opportunities for individuals with disabilities. Katz, a certified behavioral technician and ambassador for Transition Bikes, founded the organization in 2020 after recognizing a need for increased accessibility in Bellingham’s outdoor recreation community.
“I really realized a lot of these individuals that are in this disability community, youth especially, go from school to therapy to another therapy to another therapy,” Katz said. “We’re in outdoor heaven; it is just beautiful here. However, when I went to look at adaptive gear, there’s a lack of it, there’s nothing.”
For the past three years, Katz has been working with her board to change that. In addition to one-on-one sessions, The AIROW Project facilitates an adaptive cycling club and summer camp, group hikes, and swimming and rock-climbing programs at Western Washington University’s Wade King Student Recreation Center.
For many participants, these opportunities have reframed what once seemed out of reach.
L.C. “Spike” Osadchuk has wanted to compete in Ski to Sea for 20 years, but because she lives with a chronic condition called Cushing’s disease, she’s always been afraid of holding her team back.
This year, she made her Ski to Sea debut, representing The AIROW Project in the cyclocross leg.
“Getting to be on a team with other disabled athletes meant that it was kind of an even playing field for me, and I felt like we were all contributing on an equal level, and nobody was the weak link on the team,” Osadchuk said. “We were all getting to enjoy something that we really, really love.”
Osadchuk first discovered The AIROW Project last year at an adaptive bike day, where community members quickly helped her get involved in the Bellingham biking community. Now, she serves as a coach for The AIROW Project’s Riding For Focus group, a Specialized-sponsored program for neurodivergent middle schoolers.
AIROW has also helped foster a love of recreation for Brie Figgie.
Although Brie has a handful of disabilities that make activities like cycling hard to conceptualize, Katz has helped her learn to use a recumbent bike and explore a range of other sports, including hiking, swimming and kayaking. On race day, Brie completed the entire 8-mile Ski to Sea running course, with a buddy on either side of her to help her stay inside the lines.
“That’s what AIROW did that we couldn’t even envision,” said Jenny Figgie, Brie’s mom. “She could do this in the community, we just had to do this and this to make it work.”
Jenny said it had never occurred to her to sign Brie up for a race, but now her daughter’s enthusiasm for running with other people couldn’t be clearer. The morning after Ski to Sea, Brie woke up and put on her race shirt, hydration pack and running shoes, already primed for another run. A vibrant smile spread across her face as she pointed to the word “AIROW” on her shirt, indicating her excitement for the next race.
Like Brie, Prohaska competed at Ski to Sea with a buddy, riding the road bike leg with his stepdad, Ron Russ. Prohaska had the chance to start the leg an hour early, helping him get acclimated to the course before other racers began riding past. Forty-two miles later, friends, family and members of the community all cheered him across the finish line.
“You don’t care about winning, you just love to see your kid be able to stay focused,” said Betsy Hicks-Russ, Prohaska’s mom. “It was five and a half hours he was on that bike. To stay that focused for five and a half hours for anything is insane; it was just incredible.”
Backed by The AIROW Project’s support and advocacy, athletes like Joey, Brie and Osadchuk are breaking barriers. When it comes to creating a supportive community, Katz said, visibility is key.
Back on the gravel trail near Barkley Village, Prohaska cruises in front of Katz wearing a bright orange vest that reads “Autistic, Be Kind.” In the past, Hicks-Russ said, fellow riders would often yell at Prohaska if he took too long to move over. Because his disability wasn’t immediately visible, they didn’t understand that he had difficulty understanding courtesy.
Now, Joey is greeted on the trails with encouragement.
“People want to be kind if you give them an opportunity, but there’s a lot of fear and there’s a lot of judgment,” Hicks-Russ said. “When you wear a vest like Joey does, you invite them to be kind.”
Katz has noticed something similar. Though it didn’t happen overnight, she’s seen the recreation community slowly become more welcoming as it’s come to recognize her and her clients.
“We can be on trails now, and everyone knows who we are,” Katz said. “It’s the most rewarding thing.”
For those who want to support AIROW but aren’t sure how, Katz said the best thing to do is ask. In the meantime, adaptive athletes will continue to run, cycle and race in the community, sending a reminder of AIROW’s core value: that recreation is for everyone.
In partnership with The AIROW Project, Cascade Connections, and Max Higbee Center, the Community Boating Center will host “Splash Bash,” an adaptive paddling community event, from 5–8 p.m. Thursday, June 15 at 555 Harris Ave. The adaptive paddling series will continue through the summer. Info: boatingcenter.org.
