In what began as an application for a June Oakley Memorial Trust grant, Sean went on to meet application interviewee Bill Pearson, of Lions Kapiti, who later liaised with trust secretary Diane Ammundsen, and then Cycletech, to secure the custom-made light-weight bike.
Sean's gift follows a rare and complex rotationplasty surgery last year, which stemmed from an intensive battle with bone cancer that included chemotherapy, three major surgeries and a year in Auckland's Starship Hospital.
The surgery, which saw his lower right leg amputated and his foot rotated 180 degrees and reattached, enabled his ankle joint to function as his knee.
With a prosthetic lower leg fitted onto his now backward-facing foot, Sean was told his chances of getting back into the sports he loved were slim.
But he is getting there.
"Sean needed a custom-made bike because he cannot bend his leg all the way up and his legs are different lengths," his mother Jenny Prendeville said.
"After two months' hard research, we found information online about bikes for people with prosthetics, and went from there."
Not only an exciting new toy, the bike is also being used with a wind trainer during Sean's physiotherapy sessions, to improve his cardiovascular fitness.
Originally told by manufacturers he should start out on a trike to help with balance, Sean refused, adamant he would get back outdoors on two wheels.
"It's going to take quite a lot of Sean learning to manage his balance, and it will almost be like him learning to ride a bike again," Ms Prendeville said.
"We've still got a few mountains to climb, but Sean's very determined."
