Tom racks up good karma as bicycle theft comes full circle

IT HAS been a year since Tom Potts lost his main source of independence and still he is managing to make the best of misfortune with the help of his community.

SECURE STATION: Tom Potts unveiled the new bike rack at the Condamine Medical Centre this morning, a gift to "people like him" who love to cycle. Picture: Marian Faa

LIKE the wheels on his bike, time has come full circle for Tom Potts, whose main source of independence was pinched outside the Condamine Medical Centre a year ago.

The unveiling of a new "Tom Potts bike rack” at CMC is the latest in a series of generous donations that have flowed since Mr Potts' bike was stolen from the front of the clinic last April.

A place to secure his bike would have come in handy back then, but Mr Potts said he hoped the new rack would help people like himself, who rely on bikes to get around.

"I don't have a car licence so it gives me my independence,” he said.

Since the devastating event last year, Mr Potts has received an outpouring of support from the community.

"We had so many offers, Tom could have ended up with 10 new bikes,” CMC senior administration assistant Roz Thompson said.

Tom Potts with mother Meg Calvert and Narelle Lowry. Picture: Marian Faa

A generous donation from Andrew Williams saw Mr Potts back on the road and sporting a brand new set of wheels in May last year.

But an anonymous donation of the bike rack will ensure Mr Potts new ride doesn't get pinched again.

Dr Lynton Hudson said Mr Potts set an example for the wider community.

"Getting out and getting on a bike is great for the environment and great for our health,” Dr Hudson said.

"Lack of exercise is the third biggest risk factor in heart disease and we hope this bike rack gets used by lots of people.”

Flanked by red balloons outside the medical centre, Mr Potts said he would like to thank the "kind people” who donated the bike rack and the people who painted it for him as well.