by Tiff -

Did you know that September is Spinal Cord Injury Awareness (SCI) Month?

A few months ago I had the pleasure of recording a podcast with Reveca Torres (listen here).

Reveca is a C5 quadriplegic who was injured in a car accident while on vacation at the age of 13. In 2009, Reveca founded BACKBONES. BACKBONES exists to provide one-on-one support for individuals with a spinal cord injury (SCI) and their families. They’re making connections to others with a similar injury and interests via telephone, in-person, or web to encourage sharing of experiences and ideas.

BACKBONES also hosts fun, dynamic events that get people with and without SCI together for support, education, awareness and a good time! For example they have held fashion shows, wine tastings, 5Ks and more. In honor of Awareness Month BACKBONES has designed a Scavenger Hunt in two cities (Portland, OR and Chicago, IL)….

by Tiff -

Podcast 89: Judith Smith – Artistic Director of AXIS Dance

In podcast 89, Tiffiny is joined by Judith Smith, the artistic director of AXIS Dance Company.

She is a C6 quad from a car accident in 1977 and moved on to a life of dance after her injury, much to her own surprise (she was into horse riding growing up, definitely not dance).

They discuss her journey, discovering the healing aspects of integrated dance, how AXIS was founded…

by Tiff -

SCI Superstar: Aaron Fotheringham

“Just when you thought sitting was safe” is Aaron Fotheringham’s awesome tagline. Touring with the Nitro Circus (an extreme sports tour), speaking and doing demos at events and at school, such is the life of your-not-so-average 20 year old from Las Vegas, the very brave soul behind the world’s first wheelchair back flip.

Aaron was born with Spina Bifida, but could never just sit. Wasn’t his thing. After being adopted into a close-knit family as a baby (they adopted 7 kids in total), they’re the reason he’s the extreme adapted athlete he is today.

One of his brothers was into skating, and Aaron would always come along and watch…

After watching everyone have all the fun, at 8 years old Aaron decided it was time to stop watching and he gave a quarter-pipe a taste of his wheels. Sure he fell, but the rest is history. Read this entry

by Tiff -

Perfect eggs with the founder of Ms. Wheelchair Utah

Meet Meg Johnson, the hip/2012 version of the happy-go-lucky housewife and she’s doing in all on four wheels.

Her injury was a wild one; in 2004, Meg leaped onto a boulder that wasn’t stable enough while she was hiking. The fall broke both her femurs, her arms, collar bone and C7 vertebrae (ouch indeed).

Now home and queen of her domain again, Meg is making some of the best how-to videos for quads/wheelchair-users I’ve ever seen. Did I mention she founded the Ms. Wheelchair Utah pageant too? Yeah, she’s all warm and fuzzies.

The adorable Meg lives in a farmhouse in northern Utah (with her just as adorable husband Whit). After returning home, the number one thing she wanted to do (after learning how to put on makeup) was how to do everything around the house again.

Well, mastered it she has, and now she’s sharing her tips in “Meg’s Movies”…read this entry

by Tiff -

Push Girls Episode 13 Review: In The Deep End

In episode 13, Mia swims her first meet (and it’s against all able-bodied swimmers), Auti and Eric finally get some deep conversations going on having kids and Tiphany rolls a 5k. And you gotta watch Tiph do her faux chair “run” in Angela’s kitchen.

And good news! Push Girls has been renewed for a second season! (look for it in 2013)

SPOILERS AHEAD ***

The episode begins by checking in with Mia at the pool, whose doing her last practice before her swim meet, and we get another melodramatic over dub of Mia’s story, and she talks about how hard it was to not be able to swim anymore (and now she’s worried about failing).

Her trainer Kevin, who trained several Paralympic athletes, has her doing different turns in the water. He tells the camera she needs to get over her emotional blocks if she wants to succeed.

After she gets out of the pool, she tells him how slow she feels when she’s swimming, which I’m sure is a big change from how it felt before. “I’m still so far from the level I used to be at,” she says. “The meet is only a few days away, but I really don’t feel ready.”

by Tiff -

Push Girls Episode 12 Review: Moving On

In episode 12, Mia and Tiphany go accessible apartment hunting so little miss Mia can get out of her grungy apartment and into a sexy “grown up” apartment she can be proud of. Not easy in LA, but is it anywhere really?

Watch the girls visit the Rose Bowl farmer’s market to find Mia some stylish new things for her place. Also, Chelsie’s back story with her dad gets spotlighted, with her beginning to feel some reluctance in doing her “don’t do what I did” speeches at high schools.

SPOILERS AHEAD ***

This episode begins with Mia in her apartment feeding her parakeet Chirpy.  We get the back story on Mia’s apartment. It’s “grungy;” has stained carpets from living there for five years and she can’t shut the bathroom door when she goes to the bathroom. “It doesn’t feel very inviting.  I don’t even like to be there,” she says.

Tiphany arrives to see Mia’s apartment for the first time.  You get to tour Mia’s apartment as Tiph rolls through, and if you ask me it’s really not that bad (except for the Persian rug over the carpet of course).

Mia tells the camera she’s not had people over because her place, “it’s not something I want to share with people.”

by Tiff -

Breaking barriers with wheelchair breakdance

Back in the year 2000, all you’d see online about wheelchair dance was wheelchair ballroom dance videos or maybe something on wheelchair ballet, but not anymore. Oh no.

Wheelchair dance has come a long way in the last decade, and Auti Angel of Push Girls, one of the best paralyzed hip-hop dancers in the world, has definitely helped make it more popular than ever. So we’ve uncovered a few others.

Mobile phone technology is the reason so much more wc-dance info is online, including the dozens of adapted dance videos that are available.

I’m always searching for videos that prove you can still be a dancer to be reckoned with even if you use a wheelchair, and these following videos do just that.

The first video profiles a young man from France paralyzed in a car accident.  He was a self proclaimed “b-boy” before his injury, so figuring out how to adjust his moves to his body wasn’t something he even needed to think about.

He has invented this leg-crossing method to get into some very cool moves. Watch him perform to Michael Jackson’s “Beat it” and do one of his coolest moves – a wheelchair somersault. Read this entry

by Tiff -

Push Girls Episode 11 Review: Breaking the Ice

In episode 11, the girls get to do one of the best adrenaline rushes you can still get when paralyzed – downhill skiing. They head to Big Bear, Cali for the classic weekend ski getaway.

Tiphany and Chelsie have fun rating hot men during the road trip there, Chelsie can’t calm her nerves before she skis and Angela has so much fun she can’t stop smiling. Also, watch Mia prove paraplegics can conquer the top bunk!

SPOILERS AHEAD ***

The episode begins with a flurry of activity at Angela’s house – all four girls are there, plus Chelsie, to pack for their trip to Big Bear (Auti’s idea. She’s the only one in the group who has gone adapted skiing before).

Both Chelsie and Tiphany have gone skiing before their injuries, but Chelsea is definitely the most scared to go.  She tried snowboarding her first time a month before her injury, and talks about how she’s afraid it won’t be the same.

Angela thinks it’ll be scary. “Come on a quadriplegic skiing?” Mia says this is the first time she’s ever gone skiing, and I think she kind of likes it that way.  We get a cute shot of Angela and her 25 year old boyfriend (she’s 37), and calls herself a “cougar kitty.”

Their relationship is definitely getting stronger.  Cody says learning to be with Angela has been an amazing growth process. “I had to battle immaturity to be her boyfriend,” he says.

by Tiff -

Push Girls Episode 10 review: Out of Control

In episode 10, Auti’s overbearing nature is spotlighted. She and Eric mix words while recording tracks for their new CD, and the Colours ‘n Motion dance crew butt heads after Chelsie and Mia get sick of doing the same old routine. Tiphany also takes Chelsie mini-golfing!

SPOILERS AHEAD ****

This episode begins with Chelsie getting dropped off at Tiphany & Angela’s house.  Chelsie is staying at the house because she’s in town for an upcoming performance with the Colors n’ Motion dance crew.  The dance team is scheduled to perform at an “abilities event” at a nearby aquarium that weekend.  Tiphany shows off her luggage pushing method with her footrests.  Man that girl has some upper body strength.

Tiphany shares how much she values her relationship with Chelsie, hoping she can be a good mentor to her since Chelsie was injured only two years ago and is just 19.  After Chelsie arrives, the show goes into the close relationship Tiphany and Chelsie have created since they’re so alike in personalities.

“She’s like my older sister that I never had,” says Chelsie. “You are so tan,” Tiphany says as she looks over Chelsie once they get into the house. “And you’re so hot.  Why are you so hot?” she asks with a smile, and they laugh. A fashion side note, Tiphany sure