Triple Amputee Cyclist Has A Will To Succeed
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – It may take Moise Brutus a few extra moments to get on a bike, but once he gets going, there’s no stopping him.
Brutus, 24, rides several miles a day—every day—using two artificial legs and one hand—his only hand—on the handlebars.
“This all started with me wanting to be free and have no limits,” Brutus said.
Two years ago, Brutus was on his motorcycle getting off an exit ramp on the Florida Turnpike in Miramar when he lost control of his bike and ended up in a drainage ditch.
“I just remember waking up about an hour later in a ditch seeing my hand is gone,” he said. “One leg was gone and my other leg was twisted like a pretzel.”
Miramar Police Sgt. Cesar Andina was one of the first officers on the scene.
“He was alert and he was telling us about his mother,” Sgt. Andina said. “I made sure my officers kept talking to him. I could see he had a fighting spirit. He was a fighter.”
Two years after the accident, Moise has a job at Mack Cycle and Fitness in South Miami.
“You smile when you see him,” says owner Mary Jane Mark. “He greets customers and is always smiling. He is such a positive influence on all of us.”
Brutus is also a competitive cyclist, riding 30 miles a day, and he has a good friend in Sgt. Andina.
“I couldn’t have made it this far on my own and he’s one of the people…if he wasn’t part of my life, my life would be a lot different,” he said.
“He’s like a son to me,” Sgt. Andina said. “He’s an inspiration to so many people who have been involved in accidents.”
This summer, Brutus heads to Marion University in Indiana where he’s landed a spot on the cycling team and a scholarship to study health care administration. And while the thought of competing with non-disabled cyclists is daunting, Brutus says he’s ready for the challenge.
“I plan on taking it one day at a time and giving it everything I got, every inch of my soul,” he said. “The ultimate goal is to show people that you can overcome no matter what it is that you go through in life it’s okay, things will get better.”
Original Post: https://miami.cbslocal.com
