Fifteen years ago, Haettich had been preparing to enter the Sydney Paralympics road race, but at the last minute, and to great disappointment, he learned that his category was not to be included. How does he feel about that now? “When I started on the Haute Route I asked Rémi not to put me in a disabled or wheelchair category, but to ride a bike as a normal. Doing the Haute Route like this is far more rewarding than to compete in a paralympic event. My handicap gives me focus, drive, determination. A reason to do this. It has been tough, but it’s been great to just evolve as a rider to enjoy so many majestic panoramas.”
Christian Haettich, from Alsace in north-eastern, France, lost most of his left leg and part of his left arm due to a road accident in 1976, when he was 15. He was hit head-on by a car while riding a moped. The amputations understandably made his life extremely difficult. He made it through dark times, got married, had children, yet it wasn’t until 1995 when he spotted a cyclist who also had one leg making his way up a col that his life changed again. (From The Guardian).
