Four years ago, Rome Leykin was on his way to work when he accidentally fell onto the tracks of Brooklyn's L train as a subway was approaching. The incident resulted in the loss of both of his legs.
But surprisingly, with the loss of his legs, Leykin gained a new passion for racing. Before his accident, he wasn't really that athletic. He would just occasionally play basketball. But that all changed after he was introduced to hand cycling. "When I saw it, I was like, 'Oh, this is great. You don't even need legs to use it. This is perfect.'" he said. "So, I got on it, I rode and fell in love with it right away."
Within a few months, he completed the TD Five Boro Bike Tour, a 40-mile ride through New York City. After that, he did his first marathon in 2021. He fished that race in 2 hours and 11 minutes, placing 12th out of 38.
"I'm going to attend this year's marathon and take on challenges. My hands are on the wheel, my eyes are focused, and I think my time is going to speak for itself." he said. He's made a significant commitment to training. He hand cycles at least 13.1 miles a couple times a week and spends a lot of time in the gym.
And he plans to keep pursuing his athlete goals. He wants to complete the Abbott Six-the world's six largest marathons. One day, he said, he'll maybe even make the Paralympics.
For those who might be following his journey, he hopes they will take some lessons from his story. "There will be ups and downs but the trend is what's important. Focus on the good," he said. "'And also, take your big problems and split them into small solutions. And then all of a sudden, your big problems turn into many small wins."
C Achieve success at all costs D. Stick to your dreams.
