Iziyah Moemai, 7, with his mother Dani Noyer and world champion motorcylist Chad Reed after his ride around Mt Smart. Photo / Sport the library, Jeff Crow.
Iziyah Moemai, 7, with his mother Dani Noyer and world champion motorcylist Chad Reed after his ride around Mt Smart. Photo / Sport the library, Jeff Crow.
A crowd of 25,000 was moved to tears when a boy with a chronic illness rode a motorbike with a world champion.
Iziyah Moemai, 7, was given a moment of joy at an international Supercross event on Saturday at Mt Smart Stadium when he rode around the track with twotime world champion Chad Reed.
"The crowd took to their feet and clapped with not a dry eye. It was the most amazing experience for this young Auckland boy and a truly magical moment," event organiser Chelsea Marmont who arranged the special moment, told the Herald.
At the age of two, Iziyah was diagnosed with a rare immune disease known as chronic granulomatonus.
He has complications from the surgery that he has been battling for the last five years.
The Cure Kids child ambassador lives with a chronic lung condition and vision impairment that is slowly deteriorating.
"One of the side effects of his illness has turned him blind in one eye and in the future he will become completely blind in both," Iziyah's mother Dani Noyer told the Herald.
Noyer said it had been a difficult time for the family but seeing Iziyah that excited was really special.
World champion motorcyclist Chad Reed takes Iziyah Moemai on a ride around Mt Smart. Photo / Sport the library, Jeff Crow.
"He has always dreamt of riding a motorbike, because of his illness he never will and I think that's stuck with him. So it be able to ride with Chad Reed in front of all those people was incredible."
She said he had been up since 4am that morning, buzzing with excitement.
"I've never seen him that happy, as soon as he got off the bike he wanted to go for another ride."
This year's S-X Open at Auckland's Mt Smart Stadium featured the grand final round for the S-X Open International Supercross FIM Oceania Championship. Reed won all three feature races, a result which secured the overall Oceania championship.
