Years after spinal injury, woman gets new chance for mobility

After Rachael Wallach suffered a spinal cord injury 23 years ago, she was led down a life of limited mobility. At the same time, Noel Joyce, who had suffered a mountain biking accident that left him paralyzed, was leading NYU Tandon’s Project Mjolnir, a team creating and assembling the world’s first open-source adaptive mountain bike.

On a chance meeting between Wallach and Joyce, Joyce asked Wallach if she would be interested in riding the bike, and not too long after, the bike and Wallach set out on their first challenge together. “When I am on the bike I have a freedom that is not afforded to me in my wheelchair, I can go places I could only dream of before and do a sport that brought me so much joy in the past,” said Joyce.