Lauren Williams and her father unbox the treasure: a three-wheeled cycle, powered by the arms.

Larry Williams adjusts the footrests and affixes Lauren's feet with Velcro straps. Lauren, 26, narrows her eyes in determination, pushes one pedal with her right hand, the other with her left, and rolls away at a good clip.

Her father, a baseball coach, watches her go.

"If I had a team full of players like her, I could own the world," he says.

For other young adults, a new bicycle might mean an opportunity to shed pounds, travel sustainably or just get out in the elements more often.

For Lauren Williams, who won the $4,000 hand cycle in an essay contest, it's a chance to do things she could otherwise never dream of.

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