Today is the third to the last day of the year 2006?! It's seems like I was just recovering from last New Year's celebration.... I am definitely going to take it easy this New Year, I really wan't to start it off on a positive note.
Through the internet and down the rabbit hole I found out about "Around The World in 80 Ways," no it's not a typo of "Days," it's a docufilm from the U.K. here's a byte from their site.
"Around the World In Eighty Ways is an epic bid by three adventurers with disabilities challenged by their modern day Phileas Fogg to circumnavigate the globe using 80 different means of transport, led by Robin Dunseath, adventure leader. Their aim is to encourage everyone to live their lives to the fullest potential while also raising much needed funds for deserving charities along the route"
It (the trip) was a very modern takeoff of an equally good, classic book by Jules Verne, "Around The World in 80 days." Not only did these modern, disabled travellers go around in 80 days, they did it 80 different ways. One of the more interesting modes of transpo..... wheelchair sleds pulled by a Husky trough an English forest. Very Cool eh? I'm all for that one.
Their site will tell you everything you want to know about what's possible for the disabled traveller in 15 different countries, and the diaries are damn good reading. Around The World in80 Ways Homepage
I ego-googled the search phrase "wheelchair adventurer" and much to my pleasure found myself having multiple entries on the first page.... I also found some more people to interview and tell their stories here! Some of these adventures are from a few years ago and I feel like crap for not finding out about them sooner. Better later than never? EH? Here goes. >
> Glenn Shaw - Confined to a chair his whole life, this guy is the real deal with a number of wheelchair trips under his belt. New Zealand, Mount Everest, Antarctica, Colorado, and Canada. His accomplishments are phenomonal, reaching Everest Base Camp in a chair?! That's just super. He has a pretty trick Land Rover too and his site has great pix of his journeys and the tech he uses.
I am STILL waiting for Carol's interview to come back, but when it does I'll hack one together for this guy. I really apologize for not updating daily, I allowed the toll from doing this by myself to get the better of me for a bit. I'm over it, got my small business loan and a steady flow of wheelchair sports and tech are back on!
1 st of all.............Big Doings! Merry Christmas to you, your families, techs, doctors and everyone else. Spinal Cord Injured people were all the place this year! Murderball, Extreme Makeover Home Edition, and "Paralyzed and Pregnant," and that's just a few of the many times I saw an SCI in the mainstream media. The unfortunate passing of our community Champion has hit us hard, but moving on and getting better is the best way we can honor him.
I haven't done an update of results or upcoming events in FAR to long. So this one will be a goodie.
> Disabled Sailing - 2.4 mR Class Midwinter Regatta (Jan 19-21) Shake-a-Leg Miami, Miami, Fla.
Rolex Miami OCR (Jan 22 - 27 US SAILING Center Miami (Paralympic Classes)
Sonar Class Midwinter Regatta (Feb 11-13) Key Biscayne YC, Miami, Fla.
(Sonar)
>U.S. Paralympics - The U.S. Paralympic teams and athletes had an amazing year, Medal winners galore. Here is an example of their sites monster "Year in Review."
Jessica Galli’s two gold medals highlights a nine-medal performance by the U.S. in the track and field competition at the Visa Paralympic World Cup, while Erin Popovich wins three of the six U.S. medals won in the swimming events. (read more)
> Wheelchair Tennis - Robin Aamerlam and Esther Vergeer are named the ITF Players of the year, David Wagner is the quad (P.OT.Y). I guess it was convenient for Robin and Esther to receive their awards, the ceremonies were held in their home country of Netherlands, or Holland, I never know the difference. It's all clogs, windmills, weed.......... and great chair tennis players!
> I'm still waiting for the interview from Carol Hollfelder, spoke to Tyler Dieth and he might come down soon, and I hope for the best for everyone in the New Year!
All "-" quoted content taken from their respective owners. Links are provided where available.
A very good friend of mine got a card today from the doctors's office next to his. The card was from a painter of the AMFPA. They are "The Association of Mouth and Foot Painting Artists......," a collection of artists from all over the world that paint......... with their feet and mouths!
That is crucially deserving of it's place here! Not that you know any different, lemme show a couple examples of some fine painting., by mouth.
These paintings as links will go directly to the painters gallery page. Deal with it please, trust me it's worth a few more clicks!
The first of the mouth painters is Dennis Francesconi from Cali. The painting below will take you to his gallery page. Just a bit of info....... Mouth Painting!
I got a message on Myspace yesterday telling me that the O&P Extremity Games are on for the 2nd time. 2006's event was so good, I'm glad they are doing it again. The games are Extreme Sports Competions for amputees and people with limb difference.
I attended last years event as a credentialled journalist and had an amazing time. The events are BMX Racing, Vert Racing, Rock Wall Climbing, and Wakeboarding. The games drew really good turn-outs from the athletes and guests. Some of the competitors came from the U.K. and Australia, and the guests were treated to a fine show of the competitive spirit overcoming a physical disability.
If you would like to read last years article and see some pix here's a picture you can click on, it will take you to the article.
"The O&P Extremity Games allows participants to demonstrate skill, persistence and passion while competing for cash and other prizes - proving There's No Replacement for the Competitive Spirit.
Do you have what it takes?
Courage, Drive, Ambition, Guts
Put your athletic ability to the extreme test
and join us in Orlando."
Redi AutoSport bills themselves "America's only supplier of sports cars for disabled drivers." I got a chance to talk with Tony about them today, who they are and how they got started. They sell sports cars already fitted with their own propietary hand control system, "SoftTouch" the hand control system is the meat and potatoes of their operation, it's an absolutely amazing system for both automatic and manual transmissions.
Content taken with permission from RediAutoSport:
"At first glance you might think the RediAuto Sport hand controls would be difficult to use. Nothing could be further from the truth. While they are like nothing else sold in the country, they are very easy to use and extremely well made. The system consists of three major components. An (1) accelerator ring, a (2) hand brake, and a (3) clutch control. The system is engineered to work together. Learning to operate it usually takes about an hour of use."
"The accelerator ring is operated simply by pulling on it with your fingertips. This allows you to control your speed while keeping both hands on the wheel. When you need to remove a hand from the wheel to shift, brake, or light a cigarette, you still keep one hand on the wheel, controlling your speed and steering. This is a very safe way to control the car."
Starting at $1,600 to $2,000 for the auto and $5,000 to $10,000 for the manual system and installation takes less than one working day for the auto and 2-3 days for the manual set-up. If you have ever dreamed of driving stick again give them a call at 888-651-8378 or go directly to their cars for sale page @ RediautoSport.com
Mike is such a great guy, sailing around Australia for a charity that provides kids in poverty stricken areas with wheelchairs. He sent me an e-mail yesterday saying:
Hi Ralph
Sorry it’s been a while but I have been busy. I set off last April to travel back to my boat in Darwin. To hopefully set off for Timor, and to physically distribute some wheelchairs myself, However first a cyclone and then I got lucky and the cyclone changed course. Rioting broke out in Dili, East Timor, my destination, and marshal law was declared. So I went down to a pearl farm in north west Australia and did my first three months as a pearl technician.
Then finally in September 2006 I set sail for Timor-5 days later I sank my anchor into Dili mud. I had a great experience as a paraplegic, experiencing the third world but more so giving twenty kids a chair. I have attached a couple of pics of my adventure.
Right now I am back in Australia and hope to return to Timor in March 2006 with another container laid of wheelchairs.
Keep well,
Mike Rowney
Here is a (link) to an interview I did with with Mike right before the IFDS World Disabled Sailing Championshipo in Perth, AUS last year.
