Biomechanics Blog 6: Wheelchairs

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I was assigned to read two chapters from the book "50 Abilities, Unlimited Possibilities Wheeling Through 50 States" by Paul Erway. This book presents Paul's first-hand experiences and insights in completing his courageous goal with his fellow racers on the journey to finish 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 weeks while in a wheelchair. Each chapter represents a different state that he completed a marathon in. I chose the states California and Oregon.

 Los Angeles, California: 

Paul completed marathon #10 in Los Angeles, California. He and his crew were pleased to be in the warm California sun. He expressed that he was happy that he didn't have to wear extra clothing due to the temperature (much easier to get around without a lot on), and he didn't have to worry about slippery surfaces to wheel on. One main takeaway I got after reading this was Paul's main goal in searching for a rehab facility to deliver his message. He came across Next Step Fitness Center in California. Janne Kouri is the president of this center. Janne was described as a magnificent college football player whose life changed due from a broken neck from diving into a sand bar one spring. A doctor told Janne and his family that he wouldn't be able to walk again. They refused this and began to search. They came across Dr. Harkema who practiced at Frazier Rehab in Kentucky. After a year of treatment in Kentucky, Janne returned to California and took the initiative to start his own program in hopes of helping others. Paul was inspired by this and contacted Janne. They set up speaking arrangements at Next Step Fitness Center and a press conference meeting for the LA Marathon to give a presentation and share their personal experiences. Although there was no TV press or newspaper reporters, they were still able to have a good time and provide information to the listeners. I love how Janne told his experience and how his family and Paul supported him. This strong support system played an important role in Janne's life.

Another takeaway I enjoyed was all of the support and inclusion from this race. When Paul and his crew arrived at Los Angeles Convention Center, they noticed there were a lot of people in wheelchairs. They found out that center was 1 in 6 Ability Expos positioned around the United States. They visited different exhibits within the center. Some exhibits included: demonstrations of wheelchair basketball, quad rugby, etc. That was one example of inclusion that they experienced. Another was before the race, there was a warm-up area for all wheelchair racers and hand-cyclists, there were volunteers that provided the racers snacks and drinks, and there was even a middle school drum unit that used their drums to boom as encouragement alongside a huge hill that the racers had to go over. All of the volunteer's enthusiasm helped motivate the racers. The race was very inclusive. The racers were able to contribute and finish the race without the fear of being ostracized!

 Newport, Oregon: 

Paul completed marathon #22 in Newport, Oregon. This marathon was special to Paul and his crew. They experienced a couple of unexpected turns and challenges however, they witnessed the "golden rule" that the people in Oregon lived by. While traveling to their hotel, they passed a sign that said " Newport, where the nicest people are", where later they found that statement to be true! Once they arrived at their hotel, the crew was faced with their first challenge. The elevator that they needed to take to get down to their lower levels was out of order and had been out of order for a couple of weeks. They presented the problem to the front staff desk. They experienced how nice the people really were and how they lived by the golden rule. A bystander had heard the conversation and approached Paul and his friends. He offered to go downstairs himself and pick up the race packets for them. Meanwhile, the front desk staff was making calls to see if there was an outside entrance that would work for Paul and his friends. Another person even went to the director of the race to see if there was anyone who could carry Paul and the crew down the stairs. They all came together and decided on the second option: searched and found another entrance outside to get to their destination. My takeaway from this experience was the people living by the golden rule. This rule was treating others as one wants to be treated. The people saw that there was the obstacle and came up with several options that Paul and his friends could choose from for the solution. This helped the crew tremendously! I personally fail to realize how something I think is simple like walking down a few flights of stairs, can be challenging for someone else.

Another takeaway was Paul's experience during the actual race. The weather was nice, and the views were beautiful. When the sound of the gun went off, they began their race. Going around a curve and through a neighborhood, the racers were greeted and cheered on by the homeowners. The ground they were wheeling on, was relatively flat except one patch of loose gravel. They didn't let that stop them and continued on. As the racers were wheeling to the finish line, they had a magnificent view along the bay. As they crossed the finish line all of the people who lived by the golden rule was cheering them on and expressed their joy for the racers. Having a positive atmosphere and people around them, helped motivate the racers to finish. Bringing positive vibes to someone will allow them to appreciate the good things in life. It inspires someone to believe in themselves!

References:

Erway, P. (2017) 50 abilities, unlimited possibilities: Wheeling through fifty states from Jackson to the Boston Marathon Bombing. Silver Tree Publishing.

Erway, P. (2019). 50 abilities, unlimited possibilities: Racing to the final finish line from Salt Lake City to the mountains of Montana. Silver Tree Communications