by Tiff -

Get Out and Enjoy Autumn with Adapted ATVing

When you think about it, an ATV is not much different than a power wheelchair, except for of course it’s exuberant amount of toughness and the fact that it runs on gasoline. ATVing can be one of the most fun adapted sports you’ll ever try. And the best part, just like a snowmobile, hand controls come standard.

The thing about ATVing though is that it can be quite controversial among people with spinal cord injuries. ATVing has been known to cause spinal cord injuries over the years, however so have cars, and that doesn’t mean we have to stop driving them too. Is done safely, ATVing can be very safe. Read on for three awesome adapted ATVing videos made by people with paralysis. Read this entry

by Tiff -

SCI Superstar: Tiffany Giddes

It’s not easy being fabulous and paralyzed, yet somehow Tiffany Giddes manages to pull it off.  An actress living in L.A. but a Southern girl at heart, Tiffany knows exactly what it takes to adapt to her surroundings.  She’s an actress, producer and the first person in a wheelchair to be on Sons of Anarchy.

When her injury occurred, she was like a cat too, and landed on both legs and kept moving forward.  From making skydiving a regular habit to producing and starring in her own original film, read on to learn about the amazing Tiffany Giddes, an actress determined to change how people with disabilities are portrayed in the media. Read this entry

by Tiff -

Lose Weight the Fun Way – Wheelchair Zumba

Zumba landed in the United States in 2001, and since then it’s been a hugely popular aerobic exercise.  It also highly adaptable, with many wheelchair-users across the country using it as a way to lose weight.  It’s part dance/part aerobics and it’s one of the most fun ways to burn calories.

And by the way, when we say Zumba is popular with wheelchair-users, it’s really popular, and the videos below explain why.  Dozens of cool adapted Zumba videos exist, and we found a few that really show off this version of adapted dance-Aaerobics to a tee. Read this entry

by Tiff -

SCI Superstar: Stephen Cluskey

The journey after a spinal cord injury is always uncharted territory. Some of us hole ourselves up at home waiting for a cure to happen, and then there’s Stephen Cluskey, a free spirited Irishmen who’s used his injury as a platform for the change he’d like to see in the world.

It all started one crazy night out on Dublin that left him stranded until 6:00 am.  He began thinking about how people with disabilities can be without accessible transportation all too easily. And to him, this is a great injustice.

Read on to learn about Stephen Cluskey, a quadriplegic determined to not only heal himself, but one the biggest problems facing wheelchair-users in his home country. Read this entry

by Tiff -

SCI Superstar: Santina Muha

Every little girl dreams of growing up to be someone special, and for Santina Muha, she was no different. But when she became paralyzed at the age of 5 in a car accident, this New Jersey girl had to take on life as a wheelchair-user.
Santina Muha however hasn’t been phased by her wheelchair one bit. A writer, actress, comic, host, public speaker and diversity in media consultant, learn all about the fabulous Santina Muha below. Read this entry
by Tiff -

Developed by the American Association of Adapted Sports Programs in Atlanta, Georgia, wheelchair football, the American kind of football that is, has become a burgeoning adapted sport. Reason being – it’s fast and really fun. Players get to see a lot of action because there’s typically only six players from each team on the field at the same time.

The sport is definitely modified too. Tackling has been removed and players only play on a standard basketball court, not a full size football field, to make it easier for the players to wheel up and down without getting exhausted by the second quarter.

If you’ve never seen wheelchair football in action before, here’s your chance.  Check out three wheelchair football videos we love below. Read this entry

by Tiff -

SCI Superstar: Josh Cassidy

No, you’re not looking at Paul Walker in a wheelchair. You’re looking at one of the fastest wheelchair racers in the world, Josh Cassidy, winner of over 75 marathons and  breaker of the world record in wheelchair racing at the Boston Marathon last year.  Faster than a speeding bullet?  Almost. He can get up to 45 miles an hour going downhill.

And this fascinating athlete has quite the back story, learning how to push himself at a young age after overcoming a childhood illness. To learn more about the man who makes wheelchair racing cooler than school, check out our love fest on Josh Cassidy below. Read this entry

by Tiff -

SCI Superstar: Victoria Arlen

“Rock your disability,” a famous quote by Victoria Arlen pretty much sums up the personality of this hardcore adaptive athlete, who was paralyzed by transverse myelitis when she was 11.

She made a giant splash in the Paralympic world last year when she won four medals in swimming at the London games breaking all kinds of records, and she also does modeling and motivational speaking on the side.

While some unfortunate drama has put Victoria Arlen back in the news disputing the permanency of her paralysis, Victoria Arlen has no plans to abandon her love of athletics. Read on to learn more about this 19 year old beauty from Exeter, New Hampshire who’s forged an amazing life since becoming paralyzed. Read this entry

by Tiff -

Traveling Like a Rockstar: Accessible RVs

Traveling for extended amount of time with a disability can be one of the most challenging things.  Finding everything you need – a roll-in shower with a Hoyer lift, an automatic bed, a kitchen with all of the appliances you need to cook, let’s be honest, that’s almost impossible.

And that’s exactly why accessible RVs have become one of the smartest ways for people with disabilities to travel. You get to bring everything with you, even if it does cost a pretty penny.   But let’s not talk about that small detail right now.

If you have the money and are traveling where it’s possible to take an RV, they are awesome, and we have four accessible RV videos to prove it. Read this entry

by Tiff -

SCI Superstar: Dave Jacka

You often see plenty of paraplegics taking to the skies, but quadriplegics…not so much. That is why Dave Jacka is so special. He is the first quadriplegic to fly around the entire continent of Australia solo. But flying around Australia wasn’t the first big feat he managed to pull off.

Read on to learn about this adventure loving Aussie descended from kick butt blood whose refused to let his injury stop him from enjoying the skies. Read this entry