Wheelchairs

In the book, “50 Abilities Unlimited Possibilities” by Paul Erway, I read about the New York City, New York and the Bristol, New Hampshire marathon and Paul’s and his friends experiences doing marathons in a wheelchair.  

   Marathon #35 took place in Bristol, New Hampshire on October 5, 2013. Paul noted this marathon was a quieter marathon and very scenic. Paul was not able to make this marathon due to a work commitment and was frustrated. One takeaway from this chapter is the reason he ran these marathons and tried to race in all 50 states was to spread awareness about the Christopher and Dana Reeves Foundation to therapists at rehab clinics and hospitals. Even though he was in a wheelchair himself, I find it amazing how passionate he was for everyone else. He wanted to be there to support his fellow racers, Aaron and Grant. Another takeaway I noted was that he also felt a commitment to Grant and Aaron, who were the only 2 wheelchair racers that would be racing in the New Hampshire marathon. Anyone who ran this marathon was considered “marathon maniacs”. Paul stated during the race, the racers cheered on Aaron and Grant. Towards the end of the race, it started to rain, so Aaron and Grant were sinking a little bit, but they powered through and finished 1st and 2nd which is absolutely amazing considering they were the only racers in wheelchairs and powered through the rain. Wheelchairs already take a decent amount of upper body strength, so I know it must have been even more difficult going through soggy ground.

Marathon #42 took place in New York City, New York on November 3, 2013. There were 66 wheelchair racers in this marathon. He stated this marathon was one of the bigger marathons that you must know an organization to even get a spot on the start line. Something I noted in the reading was that the male racers had a two-minute start time before the women racers. Paul said it was amazing because 10 out of 12 female wheelchair racers beat him to the top of the Verrazzano Narrows Bridge which was the first steep climb they had to make. It always amazes me what female athletes are capable of regardless of the challenges that they might face. Another takeaway in this chapter, Paul talked about meeting Eric LeGrand, who was at the Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation. Eric had wrote a book about his life before and after his injury and how much he has overcome. Every city he visited to run a marathon; Paul made it his mission to educate and go speak at different places. Eric was a college football player who became paralyzed from the waist down after being tackled during a game. Paul was able to meet and speak with him and since then Eric has gone on to graduate college and gave the commencement speech. The Kessler institute is one of the best rehabilitation places known nationally. They are equipped with knowledgeable and passionate staff who try to give their clients life-changing experiences. When Paul finished his tour of the Kessler Institute, he realized just how life-changing it was.  

 

References

Erway, P. (2017). 50 Abilities Unlimited Possibilities: Racing to the Final Finish Line From Salt Lake City to the Mountains of Montana. Silver Tree Publishing.