Sport participation after the HandbikeBattle: benefits, barriers, facilitators from the event—a follow-up survey

Objectives To investigate sports participation among individuals in the HandbikeBattle project 1.5–5.5 years after the event, the barriers and facilitators to sport participation and benefits of participating in the event. Setting Former participants of the HandbikeBattle, a handcycling race on an Austrian mountain. Methods Handcyclists who took part in one or more HandbikeBattle events in 2013–2017 were invited to complete a survey in December 2018. Questions were asked on benefits of participating in this event, current sport participation, and experienced barriers and facilitators regarding current sport participation. Results Respondents ( N = 96 ( N = 59 with spinal cord injury (SCI) or Spina Bifida (SB)), response rate = 47%) reported benefits from this event regarding their fitness level (90%), personal development (81%), daily life activities (66%), and health (64%). Median current sport participation was 5 h/week (IQR: 3–8). Most frequently indicated personal barriers for sports participation were: lack of time (31%), disability (17%), and pain (15%). Most frequently mentioned environmental barriers were: transportation time to sport accommodation (19%), and lack of peers to do sports with (16%). Most important facilitators were motivation to improve health and/or fitness (92%), fun and/or relaxation (85%). The results for the subgroup with SCI were comparable with the results of the total group. Conclusions Results highlight the role sports challenges can have in establishing a sustainable active life lifestyle among people with disabilities.