Tony Torres’ passion for wheelchair motor cross (WCMX) – and giving kids access to these activities – drives him. Born with spina bifida, when Tony discovered WCMX he immediately knew he wanted to learn the sport. Inspired by the sport’s founder, Aaron “Wheelz” Fotheringham, Tony adapted his first action sports wheelchair and started teaching himself. […]
Editor’s Note: As a lover of movement, all aspects of Jayden Chapman’s life included physical activity, from his involvement in sports to the various jobs he held. So when he broke his neck in a car accident eight years ago at the age of 26, he sought out new ways to participate in the activities […]
If you’ve been following Wheel:Life for a while, you’ve probably noticed we’ve featured several stories with our partner Yoocan throughout 2019. As we enter into a new year, we wanted to remind our readers of the power of storytelling. When we share our struggles, victories, dreams, and accomplishments, we may be opening someone else’s world […]
Editor’s Note: In 1993, Anthony Orefice struck a telephone pole while drinking and driving on his friend’s motorcycle. Lucky to be alive, the 19-year-old suffered a T4, T5, and T6 spinal cord injury. After six months in the hospital, he returned to his residence in Southern California and began his new life as a wheelchair […]
Editor’s Note: When Greg Milano started volunteering for an adaptive outdoor recreation group over 20 years ago, he quickly recognized the impact the activities had on people’s lives. That volunteer position evolved into a career path for Milano when he became a manager for an adaptive sea kayaking program in San Francisco. From there, he […]
In 2003, Jeff Butler was on his way home from his middle school football game when the car he was riding in was t-boned. The accident resulted in a broken neck at C5-6 for the 13-year-old and several months at various rehabilitation facilities across the United States. Thanks to a family friend, Butler discovered wheelchair […]
Editor’s Note: Diagnosed with spina bifida before birth, nine-year-old Charlie Krouse uses a wheelchair for mobility but has full use of his upper body. Earlier this year, Freedom Concepts teamed up with the Tampa Bay Lightning NHL team, two Florida charities (Wheelchairs 4 Kids and Charlie’s Champs), and Pediatric Therapy Services to create a custom […]
With less than a year before the 2020 Summer Paralympic Games, these athletes (who have each shared their stories on Yoocan) have their nose to the grindstone as they fight for the chance to represent their country in Tokyo. Will they realize their dreams of competing alongside the world’s most elite athletes? Keep reading to […]
Editor’s Note: Likely due to a prescription drug her mother used during pregnancy, Gianna Rojas was born with no fingers on her left hand. As a young girl in the 1970s, she became a March of Dimes poster child for the state of Florida helping raise funds for the nonprofit to support research on healthy […]
Editor’s Note: At the age of 21, Luis Amaro was shot at several times while fending off two men who were attempting to rape his sister. One of the bullets hit his spinal cord injuring the T10 and T11 vertebrae. His sister was safe, but Amaro would spend the next few months at Jackson Memorial […]
