From Alaska to Zermatt
Patrick and his twin brother Lucas are bright boys who laugh a lot and keep their parents on their toes. They are inseparable and outwardly almost indistinguishable. Almost, because Patrick has had leg-related spasticity since birth and can only move with a walking aid or in a wheelchair. Nevertheless, or precisely because of this, he likes to travel and, as a globetrotter, shows that people with disabilities can achieve more than many think.
He likes to be out and about, whether at the seaside, in the jungle, in the desert or on the mountains. The main thing is to get out and escape from everyday life. Patrick and his family could live out of a suitcase all the time and be on the road, if it weren’t for the school in his hometown of Karlsruhe. “I’m good. Good enough not to fail,” he says with a grin. Together with his brother Lucas, the 14-year-old attends the eighth grade of the Gymnasium. Geography is his favourite subject. No wonder, because there are not many continents on the globe that he has not yet visited on his momo tricycle. Thousands of uncounted kilometres have already been covered, not counting the air miles. “For Patrick it is much nicer to cycle than to sit in a wheelchair. He can move independently and exercise at the same time,” says mum Carla.
Dangling his legs and soul above the Grand Canyon
A highlight for the teenager were his trips to the USA and Canada. He fondly remembers his ride on the pavement of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, with the fantastic view over the “bay”. Or the exciting and challenging trip to the Columbia Icefield in Canada – located between the Banff and Jasper National Parks. “We wanted to visit the glacier there, but underestimated the bumpy roads,” recalls his father Martin. While Patrick pedalled and tried to avoid large boulders, his father pushed and pulled the momo tricycle. up the mountain. At one point it looked like they could go no further but with the help of two American tourists they continued. They simply carried Patrick up the last few metres on the bike and then, exhausted but happy, marvelled at the overwhelming panorama and the ice field, which is almost 3,500 metres high at its highest point.
After the climb up the glacier, 
the trips to Bryce Canyon in Utah and the Grand Canyon in Arizona were almost child’s play. During a stop on a hike, they simply dangled their legs over the rock wall to look down the several hundred metre deep canyon to the Colorado River.
Every travel adventure begins with planning
At least once a year, Patrick and his family try to go on a long-distance trip. Dad Martin is responsible for the logistics. He books the flights and swears by the Lufthansa service in particular. In principle, booking is child’s play. You can take up to two mobility aids with you free of charge. However, you have to specify the exact dimensions in advance and check in the aids at the airport as bulky goods. From his own experience, he also advises paying attention to the right size when booking a rental car. After all, there should be room for aids, luggage and people on a road trip. The numerous trips of the Karlsruhe family have left their mark on the tricycle – fine scratches that cover the blue paint like a road network. “One or two stones have gnawed at the bottom of the gear rim but the bike is robust,” says Martin, who always has some tools, a spare inner tube or an Allen key set in his luggage, just in case.
Whale watching in Peru
Last year, the family travelled to Peru, the home country of Patrick’s mother Carla. In Peru, they crossed the jungle, visited relatives and finally marvelled at whales from a boat. Of course, the trip included a detour to the terraced ruined city of Machu Picchu, built by the Incas. Patrick found it similarly impressive to the remains of the mortuary temple of the ancient Egyptian pharaoh Hatshepsut in Deir el Bahari in Egypt. But he liked the steaming geysers in Yellowstone National Park even more.
Mountains and the sea
In addition to the numerous long-distance trips, it is always the mountains that call to the travel-loving people of Karlsruhe. Be it hikes on the Käsealpe in Oberstdorf or in Zermatt in Switzerland. But Croatia, city trips to Italy or the North Sea have also been on the holiday agenda. Whether there will be another big holiday this year, after the Corona crisis, has not yet been decided, but mother Carla and son Patrick still have one dream destination. “Mum would like to go to China. Maybe ride the momo tricycle. on the Great Wall of China. That wouldn’t be bad,” he says with a laugh. And until that happens, they would like to discover new cycle paths in Germany.
