When most other men of his generation would have been able to ride a bicycle by age 10, Noel Aquilina, 31, was 28 when he learned to cycle.

This is not stopping Mr Aquilina, who is disabled, from covering the 300-kilometre stretch from Messina to Pozzallo, in Sicily on a handcycle on Sunday, to collect money for Inspire.

“I’ve always been interested in sport but for the last four years I’ve been able to be more active thanks to Inspire,” Mr Aquilina says.

Born with spina bifida, a condition that impedes use of his legs, Mr Aquilina was lucky in that his family did not molly coddle him.

“I never had too many difficulties because my parents always exposed me to sports and encouraged me to go out and socialise,” Mr Aquilina admits.

The accounting clerk was introduced to Inspire – then known as Ir-Razzett tal-Ħbiberija – by a work colleague after he had expressed his wish to be more involved in sports.

“Unfortunately, in Malta you don’t find many sports clubs and committees that cater for disabled people,” Mr Aquilina says.

He immediately felt welcomed at Inspire and this led him to take part in his first Ability Challenge, a yearly event where mixed-ability participants go abroad and take part in activities such as paragliding, cycling, canoeing, cycling and abseiling. This proved to be an eye-opener for Mr Aquilina.

“I didn’t know I was this capable,” he says. “The capacity was always there but it took other people to help me realise I had it in me”

The challenges made him find hidden strengths; they also helped him face his fears, such as fear of heights.

“We did paragliding, which I somehow managed, but then we came to the high-rope course, which I had to cross using my arms only. As soon as I got up the ladder, I clung to a nearby tree like a koala bear while everyone was egging me on. As soon as I tried going back, I found the ladder full of people, so the only way I could go back down was to cross the rope to the other side.

“After five minutes clinging to this tree, Ebi, a trainer at Inspire, came and told me he believed in me and that I could overcome my fear. With his motivation, I managed to do it.”

It was during one of these ability challenges that Mr Aquilina met his cycling coach, Sergio Sciberras. “I’ve seen no one like this guy,” Mr Sciberras, an avid cyclist says of Mr Aquilina’s capabilities, “people like this don’t exist”.

Mr Aquilina rides a handcycle, which has to be powered, braked and steered using his bare hands. Notwithstanding this, he can manage an average speed of 14 kmh, which is remarkable, according to Mr Sciberras: “For a handcycle, this is a lot – we started with an average of 10 kmh”.

The party, leaving on Saturday, will be made up of Mr Aquilina, Mr Sciberras and his 11-year old daughter, Martina. Mr Aquilina’s manager, Tony Vella, not only supported his subordinate’s adventure but will also be joining him.

“If anything, I want people to know that, with determination, anything is possible,” Mr Aquilina says.

www.simplygiving.org.mt/induce3005