The Irish cycling community is coming together to fundraise for a wheelchair accessible car for one of our own; Martin Lacey. He is one of the founding members of Tralee BC and father of former to road race cyclist Seán.
Martin organised the Lacey Cup season opener every year in Co Kerry. He was involved in a crash on a group ride two years ago, the week before the 2023 edition of the race was due to to be held. Tragically, Martin suffered very serious injuries and was left paralysed from the neck down.
And now his family - and his many friends across the Irish cycling community - are fundraising to buy a vehicle that can help with his mobility. A not insignificant sum is needed, some €48,000. However, already a quarter of that amount has been raised, with just over 200 donors chipping in so far.
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The Irish cycling community has proven very generous in the past when one of our own has faced massive challenges. And we're confident this fundraiser will go the same way, especially for the Laceys, who have played such a strong role in Irish cycling.
As well as Martin helping found Tralee BC, and organising races with his brothers, his son Seán was a former international who won most of the big races in the country and the Classic League, now National Road Series.
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You can donate by following this link, and even small amounts will help get up to the target required, once we all get behind this effort.
Martin's daughter, Aisling, has explained on the GoFundMe page that her dad retired a couple of years before the crash and was taking car of her mother, who has suffered from MS for 30 years.
"They were both thoroughly enjoying this chapter of their lives," she said. "They both loved being active, whether it was cycling, going for a walk downtown and popping in for a cup of coffee. They just loved spending time together.
"Unfortunately, since dad’s accident the future is now looking very different. Dad who was always such an independent man is now dependent on everyone for everything. He is unable to go out and about or attend a lot of activities and events with his family.
"I am hoping to raise enough money to buy dad a more suitable wheelchair accessible car which will only be used by dad but will allow his family to travel with him, to allow us to bring him out and which I believe will greatly improve his quality of life."
Let's do this - here's the link again and thanks in advance.
