by Tiff -

Halloween on Wheels

Halloween is upon us; one of my favorite times of year. And even if you don’t celebrate, you have to admit the holiday has some pretty cool elements – have a good time, be someone else for the day, scare a few people and eat candy. How awesome of a holiday is that?

And it seems everywhere I go, I always meet wheelchair-users who love Halloween.  Maybe it’s because it’s fun to be someone else because let’s face it, always being the “wheelchair person” gets old. Why not be a superhero or a rolling photo booth, instead of a medical contraption like it usually is?

If you love Halloween too, then you’ll love our four must-see Halloween videos below, showing everything from a wheelchair costumer’s point-of-view on being the “wheelchair version” of whatever character to a video of one of the best costumes I’ve seen yet for a wheelchair-user. Read this entry

by Tiff -

Podcast #101 – Quadriplegic Poet Travis Laurence Naught

Our very first poet on the show, Tiffiny is joined by Travis Laurence Naught, author of the book The Virgin Journals, a memoir of his 20’s on the topics of sex and disability; a fascinating look at one man’s journey. Travis discusses his disability and living way past doctor’s expectations, how he got into poetry and the fine art of the poetry slam.

They also discuss the Dexter finale, Halloween costumes and a Dexter-inspired costume he made, as well as dating and learning to be ok with being single. Good stuff!

Listen via the player below.

No Free Rides is sponsored by Easystand.com

Show run time is 55 minutes.

Show Links

– His blog: Original Poetry, Stories & Updates by Travis Laurence Naught

– Purchase his book: The Virgin Journals

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by Tiff -

SCI Superstar: Rachelle Freidman Chapman

Chances are you’ve seen the “paralyzed bride” headline since her injury 3 years ago, but Rachelle Freidman Chapman is much more than just a paralyzed bride. Now happily married, Rachelle has forged a new life for herself since her accident at her bachelorette party.

A speaker, author, motivator and a leader, read on to see how this media darling has persevered, showing the world that wallowing in self-pity after a spinal cord injury isn’t a requirement. Read this entry

by Tiff -

SCI Folks Open Up On Health & Nutrition

Food can be so amazing some days we can completely forget we also must consume it to stay healthy. However, when you have a spinal cord injury, remembering this is more important than ever.

Our bodies have a much harder time communicating with our bones, muscles and skin post-injury. Making sure you eat the right kinds of things each day is huge. It can take some work making yourself eat the right things though. Food can be such a comfort when you have a spinal cord injury; it’s one of the things that still feels/tastes the same.

However, if you feed your body exactly what it needs, you really will be amazed at how rarely you get secondary health conditions related to your SCI. Check out three videos from people with spinal cord injuries opening up about nutrition and how to do it right. Read this entry

by Tiff -

SCI Superstar: Roman Reed

There is no doubt Roman Reed is one of the greatest patient advocates for spinal cord injury research currently alive. Destined to play in the NFL, when his life took the paralysis U-turn, he did what any true superstar would do – he went on to dedicate his life to a finding a cure for spinal cord injuries, and he’s still going strong.

Roman’s now near 20 year journey of living with a spinal cord injury has resulted in millions of dollars in research and funding money to find a cure for spinal cord injuries; the hard work he’s put towards this goal has been astounding. Read on to learn the back story on renowned spinal cord injury patient advocate, Roman Reed. Read this entry

by Tiff -

Brits, Women and Quads Take On Wheelchair Boxing

Getting adequate cardio is always a bit tricky when you can’t walk, yet one of the best ways to get it remains one of my favs – a good old fashioned boxing workout.  That’s right, you sure as heck can still slap on a pair of gloves and box without leg movement.

And even better than that – full arm movement isn’t even required either. All it takes is a little arm movement, and you too can see how good you are at boxing. From quads going toe to toe in boxing matches to a feisty paraplegic showing how he attacks a boxing bag, here are four videos that may inspire you to start channeling your inner Mohammed Ali. Read this entry

by Tiff -

SCI Superstar: Mariam Pare

They always say once an artist, always an artist. For Mariam Pare, who hails from Chicago and is one of the best mouth painters in the world, this couldn’t be more true. Injured when she was 20 in a shooting, her passion for art refused to be diminished after becoming paralyzed.

From graduating with a degree in fine art to selling her work with one of the most renowned disability artistic organizations in the world, read on for Mariam’s remarkable story of artistic triumph in the face of paralysis. Read this entry

by Tiff -

Paralyzed UK Beauty Blogger Jordan Bone

Makeup, fashion, fake tans and being all-around fabulous is the M.O. of 23 year old beauty blogger, Jordan Bone, paralyzed in 2005 in a car accident. Her whole life changed when she accepted a ride from a boy she barely knew (who crashed his car with her still in it).

The thing about Jordan however – she’s refused to let it diminish her love of all things beauty-related. Read this entry

by Tiff -

Podcast 100 – Stephen Cluskey, Irish Quad Determinded to Provide Accessible Transport for All

Born and raised in the Dublin area, Stephen shares his awesome story of survival.  Injured when he was 18 in a fall, the now 29 year old is about to receive his business degree, which is incredibly apropos considering he just launched a website to help people with disabilities find accessible taxis in Ireland (with an app along the way too).

Stephen also shares his tips for getting around his country as a wheelchair-user, as well as the blood, sweat and tears he dedicated to rehab for 5 years post-injury. He also shares his epic story of meeting Bono and being invited to a recording session (yes really).

The Celtic Tiger lands right here on No Free Rides, and he drinks Heineken. It’s a good one, especially if you love Irish accents (*g*). Listen via the player below.

No Free Rides is sponsored by Easystand.com

Show runs time is 55 minutes.

Show Links

– Stephen’s accessible cab site: Wheelchair Taxi – Driving Social Change

– Stephen’s column in The Journal: “At 18, I felt invincible but a sudden accident left me paralysed from the neck down”

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by Tiff -

How to Play Pool from a Wheelchair

One of the most enjoyable things I learned how to do in rehab was play pool.  Who cares about everything else, popping wheelies, learning how to make grilled cheese sandwiches, car transfers – perfecting my quad grip on my cue was all I cared about.  There was something about rolling around the pool table and feeling like a tough chic.

But the pool table isn’t exactly set-up for a wheelchair-user, especially when you try to play in a crowded place.  It can be difficult getting that sweet shot, but it’s far from being a lost cause.

There are several awesome pool players with spinal cord injuries, as well as hundreds more who just like to play even if they’re not that good.  To see exactly how playing pool in a wheelchair can be done, check out our four videos below. Read this entry