If you’re a regular on ATV Scene you already know who Todd Macke is and what he’s done with his new organization called ART (Ability Riders of Tomorrow). If not, click here to read up on what ART is doing for riders with disabilities and for our sport in general. The link above also tells Todd’s remarkable story which includes a life long passion for ATV racing, despite his Cerebral Palsy and Spinal Scoliosis disability.
As interesting as Todd’s story is, our focus this time is his newest ART recruit. It’s his new friend in the Great White North, Ben Brown that’s our subject this time.
Ben, a 20 year old T-5 paraplegic, doesn’t let his disability limit his life one bit. He rides 2-3 times per day on his 2005 Yamaha YFZ 450, which is modified for his handicap. Away from his other activities, which include wheelchair basketball, weight lifting and moderating a local motocross site, Ben is a full time student at Kingstec Campus of Nova Scotia Community College where he is studying Human Services. He plans to some day become a disability counselor or a disability sports organizer in his area.
Thanks to Todd and his ART program Ben was able to race an ATV National for the first time since his accident two years ago. And now, here’s our conversation with Todd a week after their adventure at the 2008 Red Bud National….
How did you meet Ben and just what did ART do for him?
Ben found me actually on the ATV Scene forums. Ben is “reconmaster” and I’m “mxquad”, in case anyone wants to talk with us. Anyway, he found the article about my plans to race the 2007 Maxxis 12 Hours of ATV America by myself on ATV Scene.com. We have been talking to one another online since last October. In March of 2008 we seriously discussed bringing Ben into the ART (Ability Riders of Tomorrow) program and to a WPSA event where he could fulfill his dream of racing in a big ATV National.
What type of disability does Ben have to make him eligible to race for ART?
Ben Brown is a T-5 Paraplegic from an ATV racing accident in Canada a year and 11 months ago last Sunday. He is paralyzed from the middle of his chest down.
Can you talk more on Ben’s dream?
Ben's dream was to come to the US and race against able bodied racers and to meet all the ATV pro riders that he reads about online.