Whether on an out-and-back hike at a local trailhead or a grueling ascent up Mount Everest, the members of the adaptive hiking community will get the job done. Many just don’t have any “stop” in them. Today, in the second part of this two-part series, we want to share with you some of the toughest adaptive hikers we know.
The adaptive hikers in this two-part series embody what GRIT is all about. They hike for the pure love of the sport, and we cannot be more excited to tell you about these individuals here.
Some of these hikers use GRIT Freedom Chairs and some do not. Read more about their stories below and then plan a hike of your own. Hike big. Hike small. Hike however you want to hike, but get on out there!
And of course, if the GRIT Freedom Chair could help you or someone you know make it to the trails, give us a call at 877-345-4748.
Nikki Bradley
Bradley, a survivor of Ewing’s Sarcoma, is a hiker that absolutely must be on this list. In an interview with Red Bull, Bradley said, “I was told I was going to be on crutches for the rest of my life, but I wasn’t told that I was going to die. I decided to be more positive, more grateful for the fact that I was still alive, and realized that life is for living.”
These days, Bradley spends her free time exploring the outdoors and pushing herself to the extreme. She conquered Ireland’s bog-ridden Muckish Mountain on basic hospital crutches, a feat that she says took “almost 6 hours…and I was completely shattered by the end of it.” She also regularly competes in 5Ks and, in 2013, took on the daunting Mount Errigal, which she summited via its notoriously difficult north face.
On a trip to Iceland to climb the Sólheimajökull Glacier, Bradley took the opportunity to abseil, or rappel, into the heart of one of the glacier’s ice caves. Watch Bradley’s TEDx Talk about overcoming and redefining her own personal limitations.
Images sourced from redbull.com
Patrick Gray & Justin Skeesuck
At age 15, a car accident triggered a dormant neuromuscular disease within Skeesuck’s body. He’s been in a wheelchair—and has hiked thousands of miles—since that point.
In 2014 Skeesuck mentioned to lifelong friend Gray that he would love to hike the ancient 500-mile Camino de Santiago through Spain, but that he wasn’t able to do it by himself. Gray looked at Skeesuck and gave him the now-famous answer, “I’ll push you.”
The two began planning their adventure and were soon conquering the epic trail. After their first successful journey, they began a foundation, began traveling the world as international speakers and authors, and have dedicated themselves to getting other adaptive hikers onto the Camino.
Every year, Skeesuck and Gray lead other wheelchair hikers along an unforgettable and grueling hike across the final portion of the Camino. The GRIT Freedom Chair is now the official chair of their initiative, I’ll Push You—and you can learn more or sign up for their accessible hike.
These two friends make our list for both their outstanding personal accomplishments and their selfless dedication to helping people with disabilities get outside. Be sure to check out their official film trailer.
Images sourced from illpushyou.com
Vicky Wallace
Through Ainsley’s Angel’s, Wallace acquired a GRIT Freedom Chair and joined a larger community of hikers and adaptive-athlete advocates.
Wallace is an active hiker who also frequently joins Ainsley’s Angel’s Tennessee division for events, often as part of “Team Vicky.” Since August 2007, she has had three strokes that have affected her range of motion on her left side, but with persistence and a strong community around her, Wallace hasn’t slowed down one bit. Ainsley’s Angels helped her get the right adaptive equipment for the trail, and Wallace has since said, “thanks to my Freedom Chair, I am hiking once again.”
Wallace hikes and runs 5Ks often with her friend, Melissa Peplow, who has been diagnosed with congenital achromatopsia, or “cone dystrophy,” and is legally blind. The two say they are “not your typical running team,” and by working together, they’ve been able to partake in events that would be far more difficult alone. The two have even successfully earned their first- and second-degree black belts, which Wallace accomplished from her wheelchair.
Ainsley’s Angels, who funded Wallace’s all-terrain wheelchair, was started in support of Ainsley Rossiter, a young girl who was diagnosed with Infantile Neuroaxonal Dystrophy (INAD). Ainsley’s family now helps host races for adaptive athletes across the nation, in addition to funding equipment like the GRIT Freedom Chair.
Wallace and Peplow run a Facebook group, With a Will There Is a Way, where they say, “Do not just sit on the couch and let life pass you by. Go follow your dreams no matter how lofty you think they may be and no matter what obstacles might stand in your way.”
Erik Weihenmayer
Weihenmayer is best known for achieving one of the most jaw-dropping feats imaginable—in 2001, he became the first blind person to reach the summit of Mount Everest. You may recognize him from the cover of Time magazine, from Super Bowl commercials, or any of the multiple books about his story. Or, perhaps you’ll know him as someone who helps others achieve their own goals, through his work with No Barriers.
Early in life, Weihenmayer was diagnosed with retinoschisis, which took his vision but not his to-the-core athleticism. He became a tremendous wrestler and, as a teenager, discovered rock climbing. Of climbing, he says, “the freedom of attacking a challenge and problem solving my way through it invigorated me and helped me to feel less trapped by blindness.”
Throughout his life, Weihenmayer has summited hundreds of mountains and done things thought to be impossible by any human. Now, he helps other people with disabilities get outside and be active with the company and movement he co-founded, No Barriers. No Barriers follows the motto, “What’s within you is stronger than what’s in your way,” and Weihenmayer has shown countless others—including Melissa Simpson (mentioned in part one of this series)—that this is true.
By tackling the toughest hikes in the world and turning his efforts to the larger community, Weihenmayer is an absolute must-have on our list.
Images sourced from erikweihenmayer.com
Carly Pearson
Wildlife firefighter. Hiker. Paralympian. Spartan Elite athlete. Mother. Rock climber. Triathlete. Winner of the USA Paraclimbing National Championship. Ms. Wheelchair Tennessee. There is no hyperbole when we say, “Carly Pearson can do it all.”
While working as a wildlife forest fighter in the Umpqua National Forest, Carly fell down a 25-foot ravine and broke her back. While that day gave her a “sense of losing [her] independence,” Pearson has since achieved an absolutely stunning array of accomplishments.
Pearson recently joined Patrick Gray and Justin Skeesuck (mentioned above) on a 100-kilometer hike on Spain’s El Camino. She and a handful of others embarked on this trip as part of the I’ll Push You mission. For this hike, Pearson used her GRIT Freedom Chair. Read more about this exciting journey here.
Pearson also works closely with Catalyst Sports, an organization aimed to help people with disabilities get and stay active.
Want to learn more about Pearson? Read more of her story here.