Miss Wheelchair USA 2010 – A Role Model for Women with Disabilities

Phaedra Marriott-Olsen has been crowned Miss Wheelchair USA 2010. The Miss Wheelchair USA competition is very similar to the traditional Miss USA contest.  “The largest difference is that we did not do a swimsuit competition,” Phaedra said.  The contestants are judged on appearance, their accomplishments and goals. One of the major differentiators is that they are also judged for the work they do as leaders in the field for women with disabilities. The goal of the Miss Wheelchair America pageant is to promote glamour, self-confidence and community service. “Society just doesn’t think women in chairs are beautiful and the reality is we’re pretty amazing,” Phaedra said. Read more

More Extreme Wheelchair Stunts with Aaron Fotheringham

Aaron Fotheringham has taken a fact of life for him – being in a wheelchair – and converted that into something that can show others the power of resilience. In the first 20 seconds of this video, Aaron falls or crashes several times. It’s not the crashes that are important, though. It’s that he gets back up, keeps trying new tricks, and has almost single-handedly created the extreme sport of hardcore sitting.

We think Aaron is great and hope he keeps trying tricks and keeps living his dream.

Hand-Cycling Across the United States

For anyone who has ever driven across the continent, from one end of the United States to the other, it becomes apparent just how large and vast the US is. Now imagine traveling across it using only the power of your arms.

That’s exactly what Kristina Ripatti-Pearce did.

After the former Los Angeles Police Officer became paralyzed in a 2006 shooting, her life changed drastically, but her determination to take on challenges in life never diminished.

ESPN has a story about her and some of the challenges she faced riding across the US that you might want to check out: Paralyzed Police Officer Races Bike Across US.

Scouting with a Disability: A Story of Inspiration, Goals and a Very Worn Pair of Shoes

As with any organization, The Boy Scouts of America have rules and guidelines that must be adhered to. When Nathaniel Schrader of Chantilly, Virginia, joined a local Boy Scout troop, the leadership was hesitant. They werenʼt sure how a boy with cerebral palsy would be able to fit in or even progress within the ranks with all his limitations. The leadership offered information on another troop in the area that served mobility impaired scouts but Nathaniel wanted to stay with his Cub Scout friends, all of whom chose this particular troop. Leadership wasnʼt sure how to teach a scout with so many limitations. Read more

No Arms, No Legs, But One of the Happiest People in the World

What do you do when you have no arms and no legs? Your life may seem overwhelming because you may feel like you are missing out on so many things you are unable to do. Nothing is more untrue according to Nick Vujicic, who was born without arms and legs. It is all about attitude! If you concentrate on what you do have instead of what you don’t have, you are setting yourself up to become a happy person. Be thankful for what you have; don’t be bitter for what you don’t have! Read more

What’s YOUR Excuse?

I need to keep this video queued up to watch every single time I am feeling sorry for myself, or feeling like saying “I can’t” or “no.”

Normally I can’t stand commercials but this one is brilliant. Have a look:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myDYE49KPlQ&feature=related

Disabled Sports USA

I love coming across videos like this because what you see is the power of the human spirit, and the willingness of people to help others improve their outlook and their lives.

“Disabled Sport USA’s mission is to provide national leadership and opportunities for individuals with disabilities to develop independence, confidence, and fitness through participation in community sports, recreation and educational programs.”

Take a look at the video, and if you feel inspired, you may want to take a look at the Disabled Sports USA web site.

Disabled Sports USA from Shannon Falter on Vimeo.

These Disabled Musicians Rock the House

Javier Pena never saw himself working with people with disabilities, let alone leading a 25-member band whose members struggle with Down’s syndrome, cerebral palsy, autism and blindness. He didn’t really understand what he got himself into at first when he accepted a symbolic position to help socialize disabled folks with music.

But what Pena has been able to accomplish with a group of disabled musicians is extraordinary. Now his band, known as the Spirit of Goodwill, is a group of legitimate performers, complete with a blues-belting lead singer, a well-trained choir, a horn section, keyboards, guitar, and drums. They have become sought-after entertainers and their story has just recently been turned into the award winning documentary For Once in My Life.

You can read the entire heart-warming and inspiring story, a contribution by Jenny Inglee, here.

Wheelchair Dancing with the Axis Dance Company

A few years ago I had the opportunity to see a performance of the Axis Dance Company. I’m not usually the type of person that really enjoys modern dance performances, but the premise of the Axis Dance Company really intrigued me: blending performers in wheelchairs and with mobility disabilities with able-bodied dancers. Their mission is to make dance accessible to all – and they do it in a creative, innovate, and often beautiful way.

They have several videos up on YouTube so I’ll let the dancing speak for itself, but I will encourage you to take a look and see what is being done to push the boundaries of the perceived limitations of the disabled. The work of the Axis Dance Company is inspiring to watch.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMIgEO4vmcY&feature=related

Spina Bifida Born Aaron Fotheringham Inspires With Wheelchair Acrobatics

Aaron Fotheringham is a guy who enjoys his life to the fullest as a wheelchair athlete doing wild tricks that resemble performances only done by BMX riders and skateboarders. If you have never seen a wheelchair back flip before, you should really check out this video. Aaron landed his first successful wheelchair back flip in July of 2006 and even before that he had already perfected a mid air 180° turn. I was truly impressed watching this video and what is even more amazing is that Aaron was only 14 years old at that time.

After his first back flip, he became famous almost instantaneously and started traveling all over the US and even some countries overseas. He has also won a few BMX free style competitions since. But winning competitions is not the focus in his life because what he really enjoys is just simply spending time with his friends at the skate park.

You can call Aaron a daredevil or whatever you feel like, but it is a treat to see him doing his stunts in a wheelchair. And what inspires me even more so about Aaron is the fact that he uses his own accomplishments as an example for teaching young disabled kids that a wheelchair can be a fun object rather than a confinement. And in the process he hopes to change how people perceive a person using a wheelchair.

Way to go Aaron!

To read more about Aaron check out Aaron Fotheringham’s website.

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