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Shepherd Center's Wheelchair Division of the Peachtree Road Race Draws Athletes from Around the World The Wheelchair Division of the Peachtree Road Race is considered one of the largest and fastest wheelchair 10Ks in the country. Race time is 6:55 a.m. and follows the course set for the Peachtree Road Race foot racers: 6.2 miles down Peachtree Road, starting at Lenox Road and ending on 10th Street at Piedmont Park. The course challenges racers with quick-turning curves, steep upgrades and fast-paced downhills. Athletes often find the most difficult part of the race to be “cardiac hill,” in front of Shepherd Center at 2020 Peachtree Road, where patients and staff gather to cheer on the racers. Wheelchair racers use specially designed wheelchairs with a lower center of gravity and tires similar to bicycle wheels with a steering handle in front. Lighter, high-tech racing chairs, along with rigorous athlete training schedules have contributed to faster speeds and new records in recent years. Numerous Shepherd Center volunteers and staff members work before, during and after the race to make the Wheelchair Division possible. Since 1981, as the official founding sponsor, Shepherd Center’s Junior Committee has raised funds to provide pre-and post-race brunches, defray travel and lodging expenses for racers, and offer a purse of more than $35,000 for winners. Shepherd Center’s 20-member therapeutic recreation staff coordinates all race logistics, including reviewing applications, orchestrating the start and finish, monitoring the times and overseeing the needs of the athletes. Providing opportunities for athletes with disabilities is not unusual for Shepherd Center. As founding sponsor of the 1996 Atlanta Paralympic Games, Shepherd paved the way for more than 3,000 athletes from 104 countries to participate in international competition. Shepherd Center, which is home to 11 wheelchair sports teams, is proud to once again sponsor the Wheelchair Division of the Peachtree Road Race.
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