by Tiff -

SCI Superstar: Muffy Davis

A wife, mother and seven-time Paralympic medalist, Muffy Davis is one of the most well-known disabled athletes in the US. Successful in both wheelchair racing and skiing, she’s won dozens of medals since breaking her back nearly 25 years ago.

But she’s more than just an athlete. A graduate of Stanford University and an internationally renowned motivational speaker who’s figured out the secret to sustained happiness, Muffy’s smarts are almost as impressive as her athletic success. Read this entry

by Tiff -

SCI Superstar: Sonja Gaudet

Considered one of Canada’s super athletes and a world champion in the sport of curling, Sonja Gaudet may be one of the most competitive people in a wheelchair you’ll ever meet. A wife, a mother and a Paralympic gold medalist, her injury has only fueled her desire to be active.

But she wasn’t this way right away. After meeting with Rick Hansen, another SCI superstar we’ve profiled who hails from Canada, she was able to fully understand what it meant to still be able to do everything she used to, but just a little bit differently. And that was when this born and bred athlete was ready to take on adaptive sports.

Read on for the awesome story of reclaiming oneself in the eyes of Sonja Gaudet. Read this entry

by Tiff -

SCI Superstar: Tatyana McFadden

They say our early years have a strong effect on who we become, and this is certainly the case for US Paralympian Tatyana McFadden. Until the age of 6, Tatyana was living in a Russian orphanage walking on her hands because there were no wheelchairs available and was known by the orphanage’s staff for her stubborn “I can do it on my own” personality.

A grim future no doubt, but her entire life changed in 1995 when her future adoptive mother Deborah McFadden, who was working for the United States government and was in Russia to disburse aid, met Tatyana while visiting her orphanage. She fell in love with her spirit, and even though she wasn’t thinking about adopting, she adopted Tatyana in hopes of giving her a true future.

Deborah was temporarily paralyzed for a year with Guillaine Barre Syndrome, so she personally understands the life of someone with a mobility disability, hence her desire to help Tatyana. To find out how Tatyana went on to become one of the most decorated wheelchair racers in the world after settling the United States, check out our post below. Read this post

by Tiff -

The Sochi Winter Olympics haven’t even begun yet and there’s already drama to behold. From not being able to flush toilet paper down the toilets to possible bombs hiding out in the toothpaste tubes, the Olympics are definitely going to be interesting.

This is especially true when it comes to wheelchair accessibility. A country not known as being a bastion for disability friendliness, Russia made sure to amp it up big time to meet the standards of “first world” accessibility. They’ve made a lot of awesome changes in Sochi, and they’ve incorporated people with disabilities into every area of Olympics planning.

Check out three videos below showing how Sochi has gotten ready for wheelchair-users, including wheelchair performers in the opening ceremonies. Read this entry

by Tiff -

Wheelchair Curling: Inexpensive Universal Fun

If you love hanging out in freezing ice arenas and are a sucker for competition at a very precise level, you can’t get any better than wheelchair curling. When it comes to adapted sports, this is one of the most inexpensive ones you can play. You don’t need a special chair, which is awesome. All you need is a modified stick, a stone, a few willing partners and some ice time.

And with the Sochi Winter Paralympics about to arrive (63 days away!), the wheelchair curlers of the world are gearing up. Canada remains one of the most prolific wheelchair curling teams in the mix, however the Russians aren’t too shabby either. And all levels of ability can play; from quads to paras, and both females and males are on each team.

If you have no idea how wheelchair curling is played and finally want to be enlightened on this insanely popular sport, check out our three videos. Read more