November 29/09 19:29 pm - Former National Handcycling Champion Killed

Posted by Editor on 11/29/09
 

Thomas Andrew Reid, a former national Handcycling champion and member of the Canadian national team, died on November 20th. Reid, who was from New Brunswick but lived in California, was killed during an altercation with a deputy sheriff in Fort Stockton, Texas. The incident is under investigation.

Reid's funeral was held yesterday (November 28th) in Fredericton, with a memorial service planned for Tuesday (December 1st) in Ottawa. Those interested in attending the memorial service can contact Doug Duncan for more information at dduncan@blackcoral.net.

The Daily Gleaner in Fredericton has published a more complete accounting of Reid's life, and tragic death.

Louis Barbeau, Executive Director of the Quebec cycling federation and the chair of the UCI Para Cycling Committee, provided the following memories of Mr Reid:

It is really sad to hear about Andrew's death, especially about the circumstances surrounding his death. I knew very little about his past, except that he had been surfing before, which is how he got his back injury and got involved in handcycling.

I first met Andrew at the Défi Sportif in 2001. He then won Nationals in Dieppe and was selected on the National team to participate to the 2001 Open European Para-cycling Road and Track Championships in Switzerland. At the time, para-cycling was not called as such but "cycling for athletes with a disability". These Championships (Zurich - track, and Neufchatel - road) took place at the time of 9/11. The road competitions were held immediately after the incident in New York. 

Andrew was a talented athlete but didn't seem to be fully committed to the sport and stopped after 2002. He won the 2002 Nationals in Mascouche (Quebec) finishing first in the individual time trial, in front of Mark Beggs, and first as well in the Road Race, with Randy Upper and Beggs respectively second and fourth. As I said before, he was very talented.