PossAbilities Members Take Top Two Spots in LA Marathon Men’s and Women’s Hand Cycling Races by Briana Pastorino - City News Group, Inc.
View Upcoming Events View Your Local Sales

Community Calendar

◄ OCTOBER ►
S M T W T F S
27 28 29 30 01 02 03
04 05 06 07 08 09 10
11 12 13 14 15 16 17
18 19 20 21 22 23 24
25 26 27 28 29 30 31
View Events
Submit Events
directory

PossAbilities Members Take Top Two Spots in LA Marathon Men’s and Women’s Hand Cycling Races

By Briana Pastorino, Community Writer
March 3, 2016 at 01:00pm. Views: 120

Loma Linda University Health PossAbilities members Jenna Rollman and Chris Sproule placed in the top two in the Skechers Performance Los Angeles Marathon hand cycling races in the women’s and men’s divisions, respectively, on Sunday, Feb. 14. Rollman placed first, completing the 26.2-mile race in one hour, 1:53.44 – a 22-minute improvement from her first place time in 2015; and Sproule finished second, finishing in one 1:26.16. Sproule, 39, competed against 30 other hand cyclists in the marathon, which is just one of about 40 races he has competed in since 2013. A Las Vegas firefighter, Sproule was paralyzed in an accident 2003. He took up hand cycling a few years later, but only recently decided to take the competitive route. “I began to see hand cycling,” Sproule said, “as a way to regain my independence, my identity as the lifelong athlete that I had been, and perhaps, to serve as an inspiration for others to move ahead and beyond the challenges that life can throw at you.” Sproule hopes to join the U.S. Paralympic team in Tokyo 2020. Since 2014, he has been invited to participate in three U.S. Paralympic Training Programs, just one more step in his quest to make the U.S Team. “To be invited to these Training Camps, I had to meet strict Paralympic time standards, which I achieved,” Sproule boasted. “To put the speed of these hand cycles into perspective, my fastest downhill speed is in excess of 50 miles per hour at only two inches off the ground.” As for Rollman, riding bikes has always been a part of her life – even as a child. She started riding bikes competitively in 2009. While on a training ride in Chino on the morning of Feb. 1, 2013, she came around a turn on a straight highway and unknowingly closed in on a parked work truck at 25 miles per hour. “Paralysis was instant and I was completely aware of this,” she recalled of the accident, “knowing I had just experienced my last moments of cycling, walking, running, jumping and able-bodied life as I had known it.” Rollman was airlifted to Loma Linda University Medical Center. She spent two weeks in the intensive care unit and the remainder of the time at inpatient therapy at LLUMC East Campus hospital. Rollman, now 29 years old, started hand cycling in July 2014 and attributes who she is to her cycling journey. “Cycling has helped me through the darkest time in my life. I do not see this as an accident—more like this is exactly where I am supposed to be because this is how I can make the biggest impact on those who need it the most.” Both Sproule and Rollman are part of Loma Linda University Health’s PossAbilities, which is a free, non-profit, community outreach program. Powered by Quest Diagnostics, PossAbilties’ goal is to provide those with permanent physical disabilities support and resources to stay active and healthy in life.

Related Articles

Photo Courtesy of: coltonca.gov

By Margie Miller, Publisher City News Group

October 28, 2026 at 06:00am. Views: 366

One of the most visible projects Navarro wants to advance is the city’s planned sports complex. He lists its development among his major accomplishments and says residents should evaluate another term partly by whether the city breaks ground and completes project phases. Read more about Mayor Frank Navarro...

Photo Courtesy of: Grand Terrace City Council

By Doug Wilson, Councilmember, Contributing Writer

October 28, 2026 at 06:05am. Views: 369

Councilman Doug Wilson, serving Grand Terrace since 2014 Speaks out about why he feels Grand Terrace residents deserve to know the facts about Measure “N,” the proposed one-percent sales tax initiative on the ballot this November 3rd.

Photo Courtesy of: The CARE Project inc.

By Carl M. Dameron, Contributing Writer

October 20, 2026 at 03:09pm. Views: 759

Photo caption: The CARE Project’s Vice President, Diana Jaurigue, with President & Founder Carrie Madrid, who is wearing the LympheDIVAS compression sleeve on her left arm. Donated compression garments help manage swelling and are essential to daily care for many breast cancer survivors.

Photo Courtesy of: Feeding America Riverside | San Bernardino

By Rachel Bonilla, Community Writer

October 27, 2026 at 02:37pm. Views: 278

Feeding America Riverside | San Bernardino (FARSB) has once again partnered with ALDI for their annual volunteer event, where team members packed over 1,300 food boxes with various shelf-stable items to be distributed for disaster relief as needed.

Photo Courtesy of: CIty News Group

By Ruby Stephenson, Community Writer

October 20, 2026 at 04:11pm. Views: 1814

An October 2026 study from Loma Linda University suggests a simple dietary change may influence inflammation-related measures in older adults. A bowl of walnuts sits alongside a nutritious breakfast, illustrating the everyday dietary choice examined in Loma Linda University research.

Photo Courtesy of: AI-generated by ChatGPT

By Stella Pierce, Community Writer

October 28, 2026 at 06:00am. Views: 212

Families enjoy a Halloween trunk-or-treat gathering with decorated vehicles, pumpkins and festive costumes. Grand Terrace has scheduled its 2026 Trunk or Treat celebration for October 31

Photo Courtesy of: coltonca.gov

By Margie Miller, Publisher City News Group

October 28, 2026 at 06:00am. Views: 380

Colton councilmember John Echevarria wants to expand his outreach to residents throughout the city, strengthen partnerships with county, state and federal officials, and build upon what he describes as a record of employee advocacy, neighborhood improvements and community involvement.Learn more about John Echevarria...

Photo Courtesy of: City News Group - AI Illustration

By Hattie Strong, Community Writer

October 27, 2026 at 02:38pm. Views: 266

Loma Linda University Children's Health Specialty Clinics, a new five-story, 105,000-square-foot facility designed to bring more than 21 pediatric specialties together. The facility is expected to begin serving patients in early 2027.This is an AI-generated illustration, not a verified photograph of the actual building.

Photo Courtesy of: https://wellri.com

By Stella Pierce, Community Writer

October 27, 2026 at 02:38pm. Views: 239

An October City announcement draws attention to an everyday household practice with benefits for food budgets, kitchen safety and the environment. A basket of fresh produce can represent a week's worth of meals, the results of a successful backyard harvest or an unexpected bargain at the grocery store. Yet without proper storage, even the freshest fruits and vegetables can spoil before a family has an opportunity to use them.

Photo Courtesy of: City News Group - AI Illustration

By Ruby Stephenson, Community Writer

October 27, 2026 at 02:38pm. Views: 407

An October announcement highlights how investigative technology and cooperation among law enforcement agencies can help solve crimes affecting Grand Terrace neighborhoods. For residents of Grand Terrace, home is more than an address. It is where families gather, children grow up and neighbors build relationships over many years. When a residential burglary occurs, the effects can extend beyond the property taken or damage caused. A crime inside someone's home can undermine the sense of security that makes a neighborhood feel safe.

Photo Courtesy of: City News Group - AI Illustration

By Amanda Spencer, Community Writer

October 27, 2026 at 02:38pm. Views: 235

The rumble of a commercial truck passing through a city can represent two very different things. For a business awaiting a delivery, it may signal the arrival of essential supplies. For residents living near a busy roadway, it may raise concerns about traffic, noise and safety. In Grand Terrace, finding a reasonable balance between those interests is at the center of an ongoing transportation planning effort.

Photo Courtesy of: City News Group

By Amanda Spencer, Community Writer

October 20, 2026 at 03:49pm. Views: 655

Secure drop box is located outside the Grand Terrace Library, on the west end of the Civic Center building at 22795 Barton Road. According to the City, it will remain accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week, until 8 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, November 3. The San Bernardino County Registrar of Voters is responsible for operating the box, collecting ballots and transporting them for election processing.

--> -->