Blog
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SCI Superstar: Ricky James
One word has been driving Ricky James since he broke his back – perseverance (and he has the entire thing tattooed up his left leg in huge cursive font). If you know motocross, you probably know who Ricky James is (and maybe knew about him before injury). He was a rising 15 year old star in the motocross world who started racing at the age of 2 (they called him a “prodigy on two wheels”). He was even home-schooled so he could keep up with his crazy schedule. Motocross is in Ricky’s blood and always will be. That is why after his accident (he hit a dirt embankment racing Amateurs…
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We are the Landlocked Mermaids
I have been obsessed with mermaids ever since playing with Sea Wees as a little girl, and then my broken neck happened, and my love of mermaids became even more profound. The reason why is simple enough too: Mermaids can’t walk either. Representin’! Read this entry
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Could Tiger Woods play like these guys?
By using either good old-fashioned American ingenuity or the very cool stand-up personal mobility device, the Paragolfer (also known as the Paramobile), the only handicap you have to worry about when you’re out on the links is your number of swings, not your paralysis. See with golf, creativity is key. It’s funny…so many people think golf is off-limits to people in chairs. But as long as you have the right equipment (and an open-minded golf course that doesn’t think wheelchair-users are the equivalent of lawn-wrecking gophers), you can golf. Really! All you need is some upper-body movement and determination to get out there. In this first video, Tim, a paraplegic…
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SCI Superstar: Sabrina Cohen
Sabrina Cohen, a C3-5 quad, saw her whole life change on Halloween in 1992 after she left a party with friends. All it took was being a passenger in a car (that decided to suddenly join in on a drag race) for her life to be completely altered. The car hit a tree, with Sabrina breaking her C3 through C5 vertebrae. But even though she was only 14, she started honing her advocacy skills from the get-go. In this video you can see one of the first speeches she gave after injury, where she speaks to fellow high school students on the power they have to say ‘no’ to bad…
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Push Girls Episode 8 review: Living In The Fast Lane
In this episode, Tiphany returns to her hometown for her 10 year high school reunion, Mia finds a swimming coach that tries to whip her into shape and Auti gives her dog a bathtub scrub-down. SPOILERS AHEAD **** Episode 8 begins with Tiphany and Mia dressed to the nines (at a bar) and pulling up to a white linen table to have a chat. They get bright pink martinis and Tiphany shares that her 10 year high school reunion is coming up (and that it is on the same day as her injury anniversary. Bad timing!). Mia tells her she now has to go, if only not to let it…
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Getting hitched (on wheels)
Wheelchair-users get married everyday (despite most able-bodied people being shocked). No, we are not damaged goods; we are some of the most precious cargo around. What’s important is the love that’s shared between two people, not the car you drive. These two wheelchair wedding videos – one giving advice on planning a wedding if you use a wheelchair, the other showing the coolest first dance I’ve ever seen a wheelchair-user do – prove just how awesome our weddings can still be. And what I love about these videos is that they’re not about a bride or groom walking down the aisle, the media‘s favorite subject of late (we get it…
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My Gimpy Life trailer drops
I don’t mean to be bossy, but you gotta watch this trailer of the upcoming web series (a TV show available online), My Gimpy Life, starring my awesome friend Teal Sherer. When it comes to disability in the media, I don’t think I’ve seen anything quite as smart, witty and well, as perfect, as this. She’s a paraplegic actress in Hollywood (in real life) who plays a working paraplegic actress in Hollywood, and it’s a comedy (a damn good one). That’s all you need to know. Can’t wait for this series to premiere July 31st! Now, prepare to have your mind blown:
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SCI Superstar: Daryl “Chill” Mitchell
Maybe you recognize him from NBC’s Ed or maybe you remember him from when he could walk when he was in Veronica’s Closet. Or maybe it was that show Brothers on Fox a few years back. That’s what’s so incredibly blog-worthy (times infinity) about Daryl “Chill” Mitchell is that he’s had this amazingly long acting career, millions recognize him, but he’s managed to do all this despite becoming a wheelchair-user midway through his career. This was not something he had planned for (obviously). Daryl was a tall drink of water before his motorcycle accident. Being naturally funny, he was cast in dozens of TV shows and movies in the 1990′s,…
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Push Girls Episode 7 review: This Is How You Get Through
In this episode, Chelsie and the girls dish on men (sex in the chair revealed!), three of them perform hip-hop at the Abilities Expo (and overcome a move gone wrong) and Angela finally finds a casting agent who thinks she has a real shot in the modeling industry. This is my favorite episode yet (by far). SPOILERS AHEAD **** Episodes 7 begins with the utterly adorable (and god damn is she in good shape) Chelsie rolling up to Auti’s house for a dance practice session with Auti and Mia (for an upcoming performance at the Abilities Expo in San Jose), for their wheelchair hip-pop wheelchair dance group, Colours ‘n Motion…
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SCI Superstar: Shannon Murray
Some might say it’s ridiculous to think you could ever become a successful model if you have a disability. Definitely not true. Shannon Murray, a professional model and actress from the UK, didn’t subscribe to this sorry attitude after her injury (and to the delighted eyes of many). Shannon entered the disability world after breaking her neck in a diving accident when she was just 14 (while vacationing with family). She was injured at the C7 level, but was incredibly lucky and was able to leave the hospital a functioning T2 paraplegic (she had an incomplete injury of course). Growing up though, Shannon was all about acting and performance art.…
