Baja Adventures

Baja Adventures Working hard to play hard Mobility-Impaired

Hunting Breathing Underwater Scuba creates freedom Assistive Fishing

Gear Review VOLUME# 2 ISSUE# 2 JULY 2016 ISSN# 2380-8535

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SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

Submission Guidelines – We are looking for full length articles and guest columns for the magazine as well as short stories for the site. And if you don’t think you are a writer or have never written anything before, that’s ok too.

We can help. Just send us your story idea and we can take it from there.

A column/short story will typically be 500-700 words. If you want to submit something as a column, it should be basically your thoughts on a certain topic that fits in one of our sections. A short story can be a profile of one person or group or anything less-than a full length article of interest.

Feature stories in the magazine should be in the 1,0004,000 word range. All submissions will be edited and we will give some guidance if needed. All stories should be accompanied by photos.

Photos Submission Guidelines – Only high resolution photos can be used in the magazine so make sure and set your camera to the highest setting. As a rule, take more

Baja Adventures Working hard to play hard

ABOUT THE COVER

Mobility-Impaired

Hunting

Photo© 2016 by Dawn Kish Photo

Breathing Underwater

Steve Garro, his wife Denise and their faithful companion Osa embark on a mountain bike adventure near their hometown of Flagstaff, Arizona. Steve is a custom mountain bike builder, outdoor enthusiast and self-proclaimed diehard fisherman.

The trio frequently take fishing trips to the Sea of Cortez on the coast of Baja California.

Scuba creates freedom Assistive Fishing

Gear Review VOLUME# 2 ISSUE# 2 JULY 2016 ISSN# 2380-8535

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pics than you think you will need, and we are looking for action shots to go with each article. Show us how you did the things you are writing about. For recreational activities, try to get photos of the different stages of the activity. And be sure to take some vertical photos if you intend to submit for the magazine cover.

For hunting, any photos of a harvested animal should be respectable and not offensive. We cannot use pics of kills that are excessively bloody, tongues hanging out, from the back of pickup trucks, etc. Photos of just a deer’s head, for example, will not be accepted. Take plenty of pics of you in the field, in the blind, your adaptive shooting equipment, scenery pics and action shots in addition to trophy photos.

Take more pics than you think you need and at different angles and distances. Keep in mind that vertical photos make it more likely to be used for the cover.

Good luck and we can’t wait to see what adventures you have been on. AOM

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ABLE OUTDOORS

Chad Waligura, Editor

CEO/PUBLISHER Chad Waligura

WEB & MULTIMEDIA Gammon Group

AD SALES TEAM Chad Waligura // chad@ableoutdoors.net // [979] 541-4954

CO-EDITOR/WEBSITE EDITOR Dawn Ziegler

GENERAL INQUIRIES info@ableoutdoors.net [979] 541-4954

WEB SALES TEAM Dawn Ziegler // dawn@ableoutdoors.net // [608] 347-5000

DESIGN/LAYOUT Cross Timbers Marketing WRITING STAFF Ashlee Lundvall, Chris Gill, Chris Prange-Morgan, and Jordan Meekins

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VOLUME# 2 ISSUE# 2 JULY 2016 ISSN# 2380-8535

ABLE OUTDOORS

ADDRESS CHANGES 1204 Laurel Lane El Campo, TX 77437

Able Outdoors Magazine is published three times a year by Able Outdoors, LLC., attn: Chad Waligura,1204 Laurel Lane, El Campo, Texas 77437. All rights reserved. No part AOM of this publication may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher.

The publisher will not be responsible for omissions, errors, typographical errors or misinformation within this publication. When writing about your subscription, give old and new address, along with a mailing label, and allow 4-6 weeks for response. Basic subscription price for one year: three issues $27.00. Printed in Fort Worth, Texas, USA.

CONTENTS JULY 2016

VOL. 2 • NO. 2

28 GEAR

40 TRAVEL

10 BAJA

44 TROPHIES

ADVENTURES 10 FISHING

13 WOUNDED WARRIOR

BY CHAD WALIGURA

BY CHAD WALIGURA

BAJA COME HELL OR ADVENTURES HIGH WATER AOM GEAR REVIEWS

PRO-ANGLER 14 HOBIE KAYAK, LEND-A-HAND P. 28 ELECTRIC FISHING REEL SYSTEM P. 29 FREEDOM ADAPTIVE SYSTEM P. 29 NK-100PH M-POW-R REEL, STRIKEFIGHTER P. 30 FREEDOMFISHR POWER-ASSIST P. 31 THE RECEIVE-ALL P. 31 BEADAPTIVE REEL CRANKER P. 31

22 RECREATION

30 HUNTING

& DAWN ZIEGLER

BY DAVE MENICUCCI

BREATHING MOBILITYUNDERWATER IMPAIRED HUNTING

BY CHRIS PRANGE-MORGAN

AOM COLUMNISTS CHRIS PRANGE-MORGAN P. 6

ASHLEE LUNDVALL P. 36

TOBY COLE P.38 JORDAN MEEKINS P. 14 DAVE MENICUCCI P. 36 CHRIS GILL P. 21 ALYSSA SCHWARTZENBURG P. 43 DAWN ZIEGLER P. 26

5 LETTER FROM THE EDITOR 8 LETTERS TO THE EDITORS 44 FISHING TROPHIES 46 CLASSIFIEDS ABLEOUTDOORS.NET

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CONTRIBUTORS Jordan Meekins

Toby Cole Toby is a trial attorney. He is Board Certified in Personal Injury Law. He is on the Board of Directors of TIRR Foundation, the Living Hope Wheelchair Association and the National Spinal Cord Injury Association – all in Houston, Texas. In 1990, Toby was injured in a diving accident that left him completely paralyzed from the neck down.

He earned his law degree eight years later.

Dave Menicucci Dave is a retired research engineer who has hunted New Mexico for 60 years. He’s a former guide that now advocates for mobility issues after his long-time buddy, Billy Black, was disabled due to a blood infection. The quest to bring Billy from the hospital bed back to the field has been a life-changing event for both of these men.

Stay tuned.

Ashlee Lundvall Since a paralyzing ranching accident in 1999, Ashlee has been redefining her life. She shares her powerful message of adaptability and perseverance as a co-founder of Wyoming Disabled Hunters, motivational speaker and author. She lives in Cody, WY, with her husband and daughter where she enjoys camping, kayaking, hunting, fly fishing, & hand cycling. www.ashleelundvall.com

Chris Prange-Morgan Chris is an outdoor-adventure seeker, human services professional, writer, rock climber, below-knee amputee, wife and mother of two. Presently, Chris coordinates a climbing program for people with disabilities in Wisconsin. She is also a public speaker and freelance writer, with backgrounds in teaching, retreat work, counseling, and program coordination.

John Morris John is a 26-year-old alumnus of Florida State University and a frequent flyer, known for traveling the world with one hand, a passport and a power wheelchair.

He is the Founder of WheelchairTravel.org, a passionate advocate for disability rights and a leading authority on accessible travel.

Jordan lives in Albany, Oregon. He has a degree in Psychology and is currently finishing his Master’s Thesis. He’s an avid outdoorsman, husband, father and entrepreneur. After being injured in the Army Reserves, he’s been working on creating a non-profit called Accessing Oregon to help others conquer their disabilities in the outdoors.

Chris Gill Chris grew up in Lafayette, Louisiana. In 1987, Chris joined the Army and went to BCT (Basic Combat Training) at Fort Jackson, SC. In 2005, he had the opportunity to go to Afghanistan and jumped at the chance.

He was injured there during a rocket attack on base. After surgery and 6 months of rehab, he went on a wounded warriors’ hunting trip, and then started his own non-profit for combat-injured soldiers called Lone Star Warriors Outdoors (www. lonestarwarriorsoutdoors.com).

Steve Garro Steve is a natural-born outdoorsman, cyclist and adventurer. In 2003, he started his own business building custom mountain bikes called Coconino Cycles (http://www.coconinocycles.com/) in Flagstaff, Arizona. After injuring his back at the T-11 level ten years ago, he continued fabricating bikes and following his outdoor pursuits. Today, Steve is an accomplished kayak fisherman who makes annual trips to Baja California

Alyssa Schwartzenburg Alyssa is a 26-year-old woman with Spinal Muscular Atrophy. She currently works as a forensic consultant in the vocational rehab field. She received her undergraduate in Psychology and Masters in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. In her free time she enjoys doing artwork, reading, traveling, and enjoying the great outdoors, fishing, crabbing, or going to the pool.

Ben Mallon Ben grew up in Lufkin, Texas. As a kid, he lived in the outdoors, hunting & fishing. At 16, Ben went to work, eventually becoming a heavy equipment operator. He’s worked for a disaster relief company that took him to the World Trade Center after 9/11 and to the gulf coast after hurricane Katrina hit.

Ben has recently started an organization called Hell or High Water Outdoors (www. hellorhighwateroutdoors.org/) to help get veterans and challenged sportsmen back outside.

TO BECOME A CONTRIBUTER TO ABLE OUTDOORS MAGAZINE, EMAIL

chad@ableoutdoors.net

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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

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“...I am a fisherman first...One of the first milestones for me post-injury was learning how to cast again by taping my hand to the rod.”

– Chad Waligura

Healing waters – Ever since a kid growing up in Texas, being around the water has been a big part of life. You may not have heard, but it gets hot here, especially during summer, so learning to swim, fish, water ski, run through the sprinklers, etc… were all necessities. I was either in it, on it, near it, or making plans to be, and that was before I got really hooked on the fishing.

Before we get into that, let’s talk about swimming really quick. I loved to swim before getting injured and even more so after. Some people might think I’d be scared of the water after almost drowning, but I’m not one to hold grudges. In fact, one of the things I relish most these days is being able to get in a pool and swim. It’s easy to get around in the water and very freeing. I was surprised how little effort it takes to swim by just using your arms. Getting in and out of the pool? Now that’s a different story.

A wonderful discovery happened a few years ago during one of my annual trips to Las Vegas. When we go in June, I usually have a friend with me who can lift me in and out of the pool, but suddenly all the hotels had lifts available where the summer before there were only a handful. (Most of them are portable so you have to ask the lifeguards.) When I came home, I saw the hotels in Texas had also undergone a transformation.

They all had lifts too, and even some of the hot tubs had them.

I knew then that some new law had gone into effect.

Now let’s talk fishing since it is the theme of this issue. For all the people out there who only know me as a big hunter, I like to tell them that I was a fisherman first. I just don’t get to do it as much as I need to be. One of the first milestones for me postinjury was learning how to cast again by taping my hand to the rod. It was one of my first adaptations that also turned out to be one of the simplest. I used cloth tape to secure my hand to the rod, and with practice, learned how to cast a spinning reel. All I needed to do to fight fish was to lean on the left arm of my chair, so we put extra padding around it. To get back in the boat, I was either picked up and put in while it was still on the trailer, or simply rolled in after it was pulled up to the dock, with help of course.

There are all forms of equipment available to get challenged fishermen back in business. You’ll find some in our gear review pages, but there are many more. To get in the boat, I’ve seen portable lifts for the dock that can lift the entire chair in, the same lifts mounted in the boat, ramps made for a dock-toboat transfer, and boats that have front ends that drop down for boarding. Sometimes, though, you just have to use some muscle. Most boat ramps have plenty of guys around who are more than willing to help.

I once had the privilege of visiting two ladies that were in the rehab hospital in Houston at the same time. Both of them were bass ‘fisherwomen’, and all they wanted to know was if they’d be able to get back into the boat. I assured them that they could, and probably threw in a few fishing stories. Basically, they wanted to know the same thing I did when I was there, that they’d still be able to do what they loved.

Another thing I learned when I got back on the water was the same thing I learned by getting in it - it’s very freeing. Once in the boat, you can go anywhere it can. Fishing was exactly the same as I’d left it, and I’d never thought about it before then, but all boats are made to be driven by hand. Hopping in the driver’s seat of our bass tracker and running it was a piece of cake. It didn’t need any adapting.

There’s something special that can be found on the water, a kind of tranquility. It’s something all fishermen know about. It’s what keeps us coming back for more. Sure, it’s fun to actually catch fish when you go out, but that’s not what we’re fishing for when we go out. It’s peace of mind. AOM

Chad Waligura Chad Waligura, Editor

Chad Waligura is from Texas and has been in the disabled hunting world for 29 years. He has a B.S. in Wildlife & Fisheries Science and a Master’s in Counseling. In 1998, Chad created the site Follow Me Outdoors and has since had his writing published in approximately 10 mainstream magazines. He is the recipient of both the Pathfinder Award from Safari Club International and the Challenged Hunter of the Year Award from Buckmasters.

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NEWS

WHAT’S WITHIN YOU IS STRONGER THAN WHAT’S IN YOUR WAY - NO BARRIERS

By Chris Prange-Morgan There are a few life-defining experiences for most of us, and for Nick and Gwen Johnson, one of those is the No Barriers Summit.

We met the Johnson family in Telluride, CO, in the summer of 2013, and the family was incredibly stoked to be there.

Nick and Gwen are teenage twins, who were both born with cerebral palsy. Their parents, Joel and Saren, had learned about the No Barriers Summit through their involvement with the Adaptive Adventures Ski program in Colorado. Nick remembers, “Our first Summit experience was 2011 at Winter Park, CO. It was such an eye-opening opportunity because we made so many friends and realized that we had become part of a really cool community. It was extremely fun, and we knew we needed to get back every year.”

The No Barriers Motto is “What’s within you is stronger than what’s in your way.” This philosophy is one which gives vision and passion to all who participate in the Summit experience….both able-bodied folks and those with disabilities. Their mission is: “to unleash the potential of the human spirit. Through transformative experiences, tools and inspiration, we help people embark on a quest to contribute

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their absolute best to the world. In the process, we foster a community of curious, brave and collaborative explorers who are determined to live the No Barriers Life.”

The Summit is a four-day event featuring over 50 adaptive clinics ranging from kayaking and watersports, to rock climbing, to mountain biking, to song writing, to yoga and so much more. The Innovation Village trade show showcases products and services on adaptive equipment, arts, health & wellness, and adaptive recreation. There really is something for everybody’s interest.

The Johnson family has been to the No Barriers Summit in Winter Park CO, Telluride CO, Park City UT, and are getting ready to head out this year for their fourth Summit experience.

“My favorite clinics at the summit are always song-writing and rock climbing,” states Nick, while Gwen really enjoys adaptive scuba and archery. “There really is something for everybody… my dad always likes to try crazy stuff like parkour…in fact, I think our family signed up for a Ninja Warrior clinic this year!”

The amazing thing about No Barriers is that its name defines what is possible for people with all kinds of disabilities. There really are no barriers to what we can achieve together, if we’ve got the right equipment, experience and attitude to get it done.

Nick concludes, “I’d encourage anyone with a disability and their family to get there, get psyched and become part of the community. I used to be scared outta my mind to do things like rock climb, but now I love it. I can’t wait to go to the Summit again in June.”

This year’s Summit is June 23rd through the 26th in Copper Mountain, CO. For more information on the No Barriers Summit or to get involved, visit www.nobarriersusa.org. AOM

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LETTERS TO THE EDITORS

Chad Able Outdoors magazine is awesome. I carry copies with me everywhere to share and frequently hear “I didn’t know things like this are available for me” or “someone in a wheelchair can do that?” Your team and contributors are making a difference by opening the eyes of the general public and connecting the fragmented community of the mobility challenged. Great Job! Still chugging away slowly here in Florida but things are gaining momentum. I was out on the water yesterday for a group from Naples that brought a local TV crew aboard.

Keep Chugging, ~ Mike Mayes - President/ADA Boats, Ft Myers, FL [Thanks Mike for helping us spread the word to Washington and now Florida. I know the people there will benefit from the accessible boats you’re building. It was a pleasure meeting you on your way through Texas and I’m looking forward to coming down there someday and fishing with you. ~ CW] To the Editors of Able Outdoors Growing up as a free-range child on the rivers, lakes, prairies and woodlands of central Wisconsin, I developed an early appreciation of outdoor activities. Fishing, hunting, hiking, and boating all contributed to my love of nature and the development of my persona. As I entered adulthood and professional human services, I became acutely aware that most people with special needs were not experiencing a similar connection to outdoor activities and recreation.

The mainstream social convention most often seemed to focus on the “can’t do” or “shouldn’t do.”

Fortunately, the repressive social conventions of yesterday are changing in a positive direction. With my discovery of Able Outdoors I found a high quality publication with a “can do” focus that not only opens doors to wonderful possibilities, but features real people actually engaged in “can do” activities!

I applaud the magazine editors/publishers and the outstanding story contributors. Thank you for your efforts and I look forward to the next issue of Able Outdoors. ~ Dale W Hopkins, Sun Prairie, Wisconsin [Thanks, Dale, for the encouraging words! It’s always exciting to hear when someone who has been in the profession of working on behalf of those with special needs takes notice of our work. It is amazing how much

information and opportunities are out there, yet too many individuals are still in the dark about the possibilities. We hope to change that. Thank you for investing in our efforts. ~DZ] Dear Editors, I wanted to write this letter to tell you how much I enjoy your magazine. I really appreciate how you tell the story from the eyes of the people involved. The stories give great insight to the people and their triumphs over the tragic events in their lives. As a co-founder of a hunting organization for disabled youth, seeing these youth hunters and hearing their stories is one of my favorite things. It is an amazing feeling when these hunters see and take their first animal.

I just want to thank you again for your magazine and the wonderful stories in it. Keep up the good work and God bless! ~Dustin Battles - Randolph Creek Hunts, Stringtown, OK [Sure thing Dustin! We hope you send us a story or two someday from some of your hunts. I think it’s doubly important to get disabled youth into the outdoors so they can find out that they can hunt & fish just like their friends are doing. Hunting gives us all something to look forward to. I know y’all are doing great things up there in Oklahoma so keep up the good work. ~ CW] Dear Editors, Not only does Able Outdoors increase awareness of the impressive abilities and experiences of people generally thought of as “disabled”, but it provides useful information for those of us who may want to try something new. From custom equipment modifications to basic functional tips for first-time attempts at outdoor recreation, it’s all helpful when seeing what works for others. Plus, it gives people a chance to share their stories and sometimes the responses to those stories alone can motivate a person to continue pushing the limit! ~ Alyssa Schwartzenburg - Lafayette, LA [Thanks for the feedback, Alyssa! One of our goals is to connect people with the resources that will help them experience old and new activities. It’s not about what you can’t do, but how you can work with what you have. And yes, sometimes sharing our outdoor experiences is the most rewarding part. ~DZ]

HAVE THE ACTIONS OF ANYONE INSPIRED YOU TO PUSH BEYOND? LET US KNOW!

chad@ableoutdoors.net

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Able Outdoors Editor and Staff, I wanted to thank you for your publication, Able Outdoors, which is awesome, meaningful and refreshing. As a physical therapist at TIRR Memorial Houston, Texas, I work with individuals who have recently experienced spinal cord injury or other catastrophic injuries/ illnesses. Sharing this publication with my patients and others who have disabilities is truly remarkable.

So often my patients ask “What do I do now?” Able Outdoors provides a tangible answer to this question. You actively empower my patients to believe they will return to active living. You are truly focused on living. I loved reading the articles in the June/July 2015 issue. These stories demonstrate that the opportunities are endless. Your resource and equipment sections have helped my clients remove the barriers to returning to life outdoors. Thank you for helping to shape how people view life after disability – limitless!

Thank you for all that you do, ~ Adele Bosquez Physical Therapist, TIRR Memorial Hermann, Houston, TX [Thank you Adele. I know how passionate you are about helping your patients get better and back to doing whatever it is they want to. Thanks for calling on me anytime there’s someone interested in outdoor recreation. Glad to be able to help. ~ CW] Thank you, Chad for bringing a copy of Able Outdoors to the high school library here in El Campo, TX. After viewing it and sharing it with the other librarians in the district, I can’t wait to start receiving the regular issues and sharing the magazine with the hundreds of students that come through the school system. I think your magazine is a great fit for any school because it shows all students the opportunities that are out there and available for students with disabilities.

What a great way to inspire youth that they too can do all of these wonderful outdoor activities that they might not have thought were possible.

Your magazine also provides a great network of resources and support to help students connect with people experiencing similar challenges. Thanks again for bringing your magazine to my attention. I hope school all over discover it and make it accessible to their student body.

What a difference the magazine could make. ~ Leah Morton - Librarian, El Campo High School [More than happy to do it Leah. We feel like the libraries will be the perfect place for our magazine because we’ll be able to reach so many more people there. I know there was nothing like Able Outdoors in our library when I was in school, but that was a long time ago. I would’ve loved reading it, but better late than never. Thanks for subscribing. ~ CW]

Dear Able Outdoors, As November approached after the SCI and other injuries I sustained, I began remembering the high I was left with from last year’s gun season. As much as I was looking forward to getting back out into the woods again, I had doubts it was even possible. Well, I went out on the first day of gun season and got a buck.

Reading some articles on your site, I decided to try and see if I could write a submission. After getting accepted and reading the guidelines, I wrote my article after finishing a college course.

Subscribing to the magazine, I was surprised as to all the variety that was included. I wasn’t too sure as to what to expect, but hunting was my main assumption. From hunting and fishing to travel and gear reviews, Able Outdoors is a great read that has it all.

Sincerely, ~ Mason Ellis - Bloomfield, IN [We were very happy to get your story, Mason. People need to hear about experiences like yours, to learn from and to be inspired to try working through their own challenges. That’s one of the reasons we created Able Outdoors. We try to cover all aspects of the outdoors. I think people do assume we are just about hunting and fishing, but there is so much more out there than that.

Looking forward to sharing more of your stories! ~ DZ]

ABLE OUTDOORS

TROPHIES

IN EACH ISSUE

we will include a Trophy Page for one section of the magazine where photos from our readers will be selected. To submit photos, contact us through info@ableoutdoors.net or www.ableoutdoors.net. Next issue will highlight HUNTING.

TO ADVERTISE, PLEASE CONTACT CHAD WALIGURA

chad@ableoutdoors.net 979-541-4954 www.AbleOutdoors.net

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FISHING

AOM

Meet Steve Garro, a 48 year old part-time metalworker and full-time adventurer from Flagstaff, Arizona.

He’s also a T-11/12 incomplete para, the result of a bicycle versus vehicle crash 11 years ago when he was hit by a truck on the way to a friend’s house.

“That’s why they call it trauma,” Steve says. “I got busted up real bad, broken back, ribs, shattered femur, lots of internal damage, but I lived. When you get to the hospital and they tell you the least of your problems is a broken back, you know it’s bad. Well, that’s what they told me.” Steve was in and out of the hospital for six months following the accident. It was really hard on him and his wife Denise, but they made it through.

Baja ADVENTURES

By by Chad Waligura

S

teve was 37 at the time. He was an avid bike rider, endurance racer, hiker, fisherman, hunter… you name it. To say he had a passion for the outdoors would be putting it mildly, so something as ‘minor’ as paralysis wasn’t going to stop him.

When Steve was a boy, he was introduced to fishing just like most young boys his age were, by his dad. They’d go out together to all the lakes, streams and rivers in northern Arizona, primarily to scenic Lake Powell, to catch bass, crappie, stripers, catfish or whatever else they could get to bite a hook.

He and his dad hunted together too, of course, but back then fishing was king. At a very early age, Steve knew the outdoors was where he was meant to be.

Ever the adventurer at heart, he’s still biking today. Naturally, he’s had to adapt, so instead of the typical leg-powered model, he uses a handcycle. “Before I was injured, I biked everywhere.

Everywhere. We’d take bicycle trips down to Baja California along the Sea of Cortez,” Steve recounts. “We’d go down there for weeks at a time, camping and catching fish whenever we needed dinner. We’d just fish off the bank for food. I loved it!”

Life is a never-ending struggle for Steve. For the past ten years, he’s had to endure multiple surgeries stemming from the accident. His legs are so stiff in the mornings that he has to take baclofen just to limber them up enough to be able to 10

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Steve Garro paddling back to camp on the Sea of Cortez after a long day’s fishing.

climb out of bed into his chair. Having an incomplete back injury also means nerve pain, mostly in the form of tight spasms and violent shocks, but life goes on. It’s still good and fishing is still the king.

In 2003, Steve started a one man operation making custom mountain bikes, doing all the design and fabrication in his house with his own hands. Named Coconino Cycles, Steve produces about 20-25 bike frames a year, all from scratch, built to fit the precise needs and measurements of each rider.

“I pride myself on perfect fit, ride quality and durability to provide you with the best cycling experience I can,” he boasts.

(If you want to know more details on his business, you can check out his web page at www.coconinocycles.com) At least twice a year, he and Steve works hard Denise will load up the kayaks, so he can play fishing poles and camping gear and head south to Baja. hard. It takes “We kinda just pack up and all of about two ” Steve says. “I’m an amateur seconds of talking go, meteorologist when it comes to him to tell he’s to fishing, so when we see the a very driven man. right weather coming… we go.”

Denise and Osa (above) waiting on Steve before heading out onto the flats. The Cortez Halibut (right) is a favorite to bring home for dinner.

It’s a 1,500 mile round trip down to Bahia de Los Angeles, or L.A. Bay as it’s known to American tourists, in Baja California.

“We’ll hit several spots along the way, depending on the water temp, the tides and the wind. Those three things decide what we do, and if we get all three we’ll stay right where we are.”

Bringing tents to sleep in at night, Steve and Denise will set up primitive camps at one of their many favorite locations along the coastline. And according to Steve, a 4X4 truck is mandatory in Baja. “The only thing I bring that could really be considered adaptive equipment is a field toilet,” he says.

“Everything else is normal camping gear.”

Being a self-proclaimed dedicated kayak fisherman, Steve’s kayak of choice is called the Kraken made by Jackson brand.

It’s a sit-on-top vessel designed for fishing and “a real badass boat for disabled fishermen,” he attests. “It’s stable, like a wheelchair that floats, and it has the most comfortable seat I own on anything.” Carried around on the roof of the truck, kayaks are the easiest vessels for do-it-yourself outdoorsmen.

Steve claims he can hop onto the tailgate where he can untie the kayaks and slide them down to Denise so she can drag them to the water’s edge. From there, depending on

the terrain, Steve will either roll down to the water, use his crutches to walk or do whatever he has to do to get to the boat. “Sometimes you just gotta crawl,” he asserts.

That’s when the ‘reel’ fun begins. The Sea of Cortez has some 900 species of fish, and Steve has caught about 80 of them so far. On any given day, you never know what you’re gonna catch. “It’s what I love most about fishing Baja,” he says. “It’s also why you have to take a guide book with you to help ABLEOUTDOORS.NET

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Being able to camp in Baja (above) allows you to go almost anywhere the fishing is good. Accessible accommodations are limited down there, but the views are spectacular! Steve showing off a Corvina (right) that he caught in the mangroves

identify what you just caught. Some of those things have poisonous spines.”

“The way we normally fish is to set up rods and paddle around pulling artificial baits, kinda like trolling,” Steve explains. “Live bait is too much trouble to mess with, plus it’s hard to find down there.” During a three week trip they’ll fish 15-16 days, and on windy days they’ll either move to another location or spend the day going to town for groceries.

One of the best things about a Baja trip is the serenity. If you’ve never been to that part of the world, there’s something special about a desert region sandwiched in between a mountain range and a deep blue ocean. Life seems to slow way down there, so getting away from the stresses of life, the noise, the busy... is a natural occurrence. And fishing the Sea of Cortez is, quite simply, fantastic. For long-time fishermen, it’s a lot easier to get up early every single morning when you have no idea what you might catch that day. It’s exciting! “I reckon my favorite fish to catch is one I’ve never seen before,” Steve admits. “It keeps it fun. But I love the big ones. The biggest I ever caught from my kayak was a 45 lb yellowtail jack. That 12

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thing pulled me all over the place before I got him in. I’ve caught tuna and a 36 inch snook. ” Denise fished before she ever met Steve. She also loves being on the water. It’s one of the things that brought them together. “We fish together a lot,” Steve says. “We also like fishing the shallow bays down there. The water is calmer and there are different kinds of fish in them. Sometimes if the seas are too rough, Denise and I will load up both kayaks, with a little platform on the back for our dog Osa of course, and hit the flats and mangrove shorelines. That’s where one of my favorite fish to eat, the Cortez Halibut, lives.”

THE KRAKEN

A close encounter with the largest fish in the sea, the whale shark, was one of the highlights of the trip.

They fish for food, of course, but there’s so much more to love about being on the water “sur de California.” First off, fishing on the sea is challenging. That’s why knowing the weather is so important. You have stronger currents and waves to contend with too, and if you’re lucky you’ll get to try to land a fighting fish in the middle of all that. “To me, the ocean is peaceful,” Steve says, “even when it’s trying to kill you. It’s good to be a little scared all the time while you’re out there, or maybe I mean staying hyperaware - there’s no place for all out fear on the ocean - if you’re that scared you should stay on the beach.”

Then there are those once-in-a-lifetime experiences. Like when you’re on the water and you literally bump into the largest fish on the planet, a whale shark. “Even though I know it’s harmless, a plankton-eater, having a 30’ long, 15 ton animal come at you is startling,” Steve confesses. “They’re such majestic creatures. Amazing how fast they can sneak up on you. I had one come up and before I knew it he lifted my kayak up on his back as he passed under me. Then he gave me a ‘little’ tail slap to the face as he cruised away. It’s thrilling being next to something that’s the same size as a dinosaur, and, it makes you think maybe we should work a little harder about saving this earth – if you ever want to see stuff like this in your lifetime, stop using so much plastic… or at least recycle. It’s amazing how much of it ends up in the ocean.”

“You are going to work for it on a trip like this… it’s hard. But don’t let that discourage you. It’s 10 times more rewarding.

And make sure you have some good footwear like rubber booties from NRS,” Steve advises, “or you’re going to go home with infections on your feet from every little cut. I learned that lesson the hard way.”

Besides a passion for fishing, it’s the overall challenge that Steve loves about these impromptu trips to Baja, and the peace of mind they afford. It’s the neat little out-of-the-way places that time and progress have forgotten, and the good people that keep them running. They check all the boxes of an adventure trip. “Some of the most difficult things are getting to the water to fish and getting to the bathroom, if you can find one,” Steve concluded, and when asked what the next hardest thing was to do, he replied, “Come home!” AOM

There is a new breed of sea kayak out there, and it’s a huge asset to those of us in wheelchairs or on crutches – the dedicated Fishing Sea kayak.

After many years in a standard kayak, I recently purchased a Jackson Kraken (http://jacksonkayak.com) in the 15’ 6” model [a 13’ model is offered as well] to engage in open ocean fishing.

As a para, I appreciate the increased stability of the vessel’s larger size even though it weighs more than a standard.

In addition to increased stability, the open sit-on-top design makes getting onto the kayak many times easier than the “sit-inside” style. You simply transfer onto the kayak versus having to insert yourself into and extricate yourself out of the craft each time, often resulting in an unintended swamping! The design also allows kayakers to stand in them, those who are able.

The seat is the most comfortable seat on anything I own, hands down.

I have paddled 5-6 hours a day for almost two weeks with no skin issues whatsoever, and no back pain.

Stability is amazing, with some, but not a huge amount of extra drag over my standard kayak. The additional stability is much appreciated when digging for fishing gear, paddling, shooting pictures, catching a 4’ wide bat ray, or even taking a ride on a whale shark’s back!

Gear additions are all over this boat.

My Kraken has a paddle holder, four tackle boxes, the J-krate and adjustable foot pegs that hold my feet in the channels very securely. All of your gear can be held in either the between-your-feet hinged storage area, or, if you can reach it with your level of injury, the included J-krate gear box, which functions as a rod holder for three rods out of the EIGHT stock holders on the boat. You can also put ice in the storage box to keep fish in.

Drawbacks? The weight… but that’s what makes it safer. This boat is made for beach launches, the surf, and heavy seas. Its durability holds up to fighting large aggressive fish, as well as what is often a not so pretty transfer from the wheelchair or crutches. Its sturdy weight is a requirement for its function.

If you need a lighter version, look at the 13’ model or the Jackson Cuda model, a longtime standard in this genre of this boat. – Steve Garro To see more Fishing Gear reviews, go to page 28

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COLUMNIST

JORDAN MEEKINS

WHEN ALL ELSE FAILS... HIRE A GUIDE

“How does a guy who spends very little time on the water actually have a chance at catching fish? And do it on a college student’s budget? I told Bryce we were going to hire a guide.”

– Jordan Meekins

This month’s entry is going to be about the annual trout & salmon runs up here in the Northwest and how I learned to fish them. In Oregon, we have seasonal runs for both steelhead trout and salmon which take place in the winter, spring and summer.

Several years back, I caught the bug that many of my fellow fishermen call “steelhead fever.” A steelhead is a giant rainbow trout that has made a trip to the ocean and back. During the winter months, they fill up the rivers on their way from the Pacific to their native spawning grounds up rivers like the Alsea, or the Silez. The best time to fish for them is when the storms subside, the water turns green and you can get in a full day’s fishing. It’s more likely to be during cold, rainy, windy and nasty, which I was told were ideal to catching the fish.

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Needless to say, when my brother Bryce and I decided to venture out two years earlier, the weather was ‘ideal’.

It was supposed to be one of the rainiest and coldest in recent history. Much of our experience to that point consisted of prospecting river bank spots, either by cutting our way through briars to the only available public space left, or tying my wheelchair to a tree closest to the most level landing we could find. Now, the two of us consider ourselves pretty good fishermen, but after two seasons we hadn’t had one bite.

Back at my kitchen table one night, an idea struck my brain. How does a guy who spends very little time on the water (I was in college at the time), actually have a chance at catching fish? And do it on a college student’s budget? I told Bryce we were going to hire a guide.

For a guy like me with limited access, no experience, no boat and a wanting wallet, I needed a guide to boost my odds, and after some searching I found one from Portland named Jack Glass. He and his son have a small outfit of several large flat-bottom boats who fish everything from steelhead to salmon to sturgeon. [Sturgeon are literally from the dinosaur age from their appearance to their lineage. They are large, beautiful, tasty fish which are heavily regulated in Oregon. You can only keep one that is 42-60 inches long and that’s only the last time I checked (The regs change every year – in 2016 they are catch and release only).

When I called to ask Jack about taking me out, his answers fit well within my expectations. His reaction to my telling him I was a chair-user was much better than the awkward pause I got from the first guy I called. Jack said, “That’s no problem, we can figure something out.”

We decided on a weekend in February when I had my daughter, my dad was free and when Jack thought we had the best chance of catching fish. When the day came, we met at the Lewis and Clark State Park around 6:00 AM. I could already feel my heart beating faster as I pictured myself landing a monster.

At the boat landing, we wasted no time figuring out how to stow my chair after I transferred over the side of the boat into one of its fixed chairs. Jack had all his rigs ready to fish and a hand propane heater set up for my kiddo. His demeanor, knowledge of the river, experience, and quality of equipment really impressed me. If nothing else, I felt like I’d picked the right guide.

Our charter was supposed to end at noon, but it was already about 11:40 and we hadn’t landed a single fish. I could see Jack was getting frustrated as he pulled anchor and took us to a spot in the river that we’d passed earlier.

I assumed it was his backup spot he used when the fish weren’t cooperating, and I could tell he wanted to get us some action.

We had our cork & egg baits rigged up and my dad and I tossed in exactly where Jack pointed to. We watched

STEELHEAD

One of the biggest limiting factors to bringing home a trophy steelhead is the increased population of native fish to hatchery fish (In the majority of Oregon waterways, you can only keep fish grown in a hatchery).

In the past 20 years or so, fish hatcheries have drastically improved the number of native steelhead in Oregon by flooding rivers with farm fish that are targeted by fisherman. It limits fish being taken, and allows natives to spawn. This means healthier rivers, but more fisherman go home empty handed.

The way you tell hatchery fish apart from native trout is that hatchery-born fish have a clipped adipose fin.

Natives have theirs intact.

If you ever have the chance to come up to Oregon, I highly recommend going to one of the hatchery facilities

intently as our lines flowed downriver with the current, right where our guide assured us they’d get hit. And sure enough, dad’s bait took off upstream. The steelhead that swallowed the roe (fish egg) ran out of line about 20 yards away and came out of the water like the Tasmanian devil.

It was an awesome sight. In all the time I’d been fishing, I hadn’t seen one fight so hard and stay on the hook. You have to use barbless hooks in these waters.

Due to regulations, you can only lift a caught native fish up to pull the hook out, take a quick picture and release it as soon as possible. Jack said it was an 11 pounder, and I noticed it had bite marks from the river seals, but that’s a rant for another time.

In a span of about 20 minutes, we all went from fishless wannabees to victorious sportsmen. Jack is a world class guide in my opinion and my experience on his aluminum flat bottom boat was one that will last my lifetime. He had a “can-do” attitude which is the first thing I look for in a guide. Navigating the Sandy River with Jack and my family that day was one of my fondest and most thrilling fishing memories to date. It taught me that there is always something to learn out there on the water, and always a way to get around your barriers, and budget. AOM

to check it out, it’s worth your while. Picture 15-20 large concrete pools filled with fish, from fingerlings to spawnsized males to brood-sized females, packed fin to fin just waiting to be released. (Male trout are called bucks and females are known as hens.)

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife is nice enough to provide quarter dispenser fish food machines that give you about a handful of brown pellets that you can chuck into the ponds. It’s a thrill watching the water boil as the fish fight for the bb sized morsels.

Intact adipose fin (wild salmon)

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WOUNDED WARRIORS

AOM

It basically began one day when Ben got to chatting with a guy named Chris that he’d met on a duck hunting forum who happened to have limited mobility. Come to find out, Chris Roberson had served in the Air Force as a helicopter mechanic, was a lifelong duck hunter, and since he became paralyzed, a power chair user. Ben began to wonder how he might be able to get this guy out to the blind someday, or if such a thing would even be possible.

He was quite sure it’d never been done before, at least not out on the coast.

Come Hell or HIGH WATER

By Chad Waligura

B

en Mallon is a man on a mission. Growing up in Lufkin, Tx., he discovered the piney woods and nearby Lake Sam Rayburn to be magical places for a boy just learning how to hunt & fish. American Sportsmen was the most popular outdoor show on TV at the time, and Ben’s favorite episode was when the show’s famous host, Curt Gowdy, was duck hunting on Chesapeake Bay. It got Ben dreaming about hunting the saltwater bays himself one day. Duck hunting was Ben’s favorite pursuit back then, you see, and not much has changed since. At 16, he started working in the oilfields, eventually working his way up to heavy equipment operator. Later on, Ben would join a disaster recovery company that would carry him through every state in the lower 48, including to the World Trade Center after 9-11 and to Mississippi and New Orleans to clean up post hurricane Katrina. When he’d seen enough death and destruction, he went back to the Oil & Gas industry where he worked on the pipelines as an inspector.

This would eventually lead him to the Texas coast.

On his first time duck hunting the bays, he was fascinated by the large groups of diver ducks that wintered there. With its saltwater flats, brackish estuaries and freshwater ponds where the rivers dump in, the area holds several difference

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Airboat on the bay at sunrise

types of ducks during the season, and you can hunt all of them without having to pay for a hunting lease. It’s public land.

One particular day, on the way down to the coast to take a friend hunting, Ben stopped by Chris’ house so the two could finally meet. In very short order, they were parked around Chris’ kitchen table talking about his Ben hated leaving and what he Chris behind that day, accident used to do before it so much so that it happened. When the was on his mind the conversation turned to hunting, as it soon does whole hunt and well when die-hard hunters into the night. meet, the subject quickly moved to duck blinds and duck calls, and the fact that Chris would have an impossible time getting in Ben’s mudboat. Ben hated leaving Chris behind that day, so much so that it was on his mind the whole hunt and well into the night.

At the time, they were hunting the Texas coast primarily near Port Aransas and on occasion closer to Port Lavaca where the Guadalupe River empties into the bay. The blinds were built on wooden stilts that you could only get to by skinny water boats.

Ben started snooping around on the net but couldn’t find anybody in the country who was taking people hunting the way he wanted to out on the saltwater. There was no info at all about how to get someone in a 300 pound electric chair into the marsh. It also happened that during that same time period, Ben was courting an offer to be a full-time guide from one of the major waterfowl outfitters on the coast.

Something was about to give.

One night, Ben heard a voice in a dream… “You can do better. You can do more.” It was as clear as anything he’d heard before, and the next morning when he woke up he had a plan in his head as to what he needed to do: How he’d need to get a new airboat; How to modify it; How to make the blinds accessible; How to load the chairs and secure them for the ride. It was all right there in front of his face.

Ben called his friend Troy Broussard (of Swamp People fame) and talked with him about the specifics of making an airboat able to carry chairbound hunters, including how to adapt the front of the boat so it’d drop down all the way to the ground as a ramp. He then called a guy named Scooter Back who works for Diamondback Airboats to tell him what he wanted to do and then sent him the specs. Scooter said no one had ever called asking to customize a boat to take challenged sportsmen duck hunting, but they could do whatever he wanted.

As soon as the boat was ‘acquired’, he called his son Zack to come over so they could start practicing in the backyard with the brand new airboat and one of those Hoveround power chairs. “If we could just get him on the boat,” Ben thought, “we could get him almost anywhere.” He gave Zack strict orders not to use his arms and legs at all and see if he could get into the boat. Chris used an electric chair to get around in and Ben was determined to figure out a way to get him to the blind with him the next time they went hunting. Having to leave him at home that day was still heavy on his mind.

They measured Chris’ chair, beefed up the platforms in the blinds and widened the doorways to allow him to roll right in. That way Ben could pull the boat up to the blind where a portable ramp could be dropped to bridge the gap between the boat and the blind. There were tie downs built into the boat as well so two chairs could be securely carried on the same trip if need be.

Then came time for the actual hunt, that fateful morning when Ben and his crew (guide Dustin Mcleroy) met Chris at the boat launch before dawn. Using a ramp they’d constructed, Chris was able to roll right out of his van onto the boat where he was tied down for the ride. Ben’s plan was coming together before his eyes. They’d already placed the blind where they’d seen the most ducks, complete with a wide swinging gate doorway on one side which

Chris getting set up after crossing a ramp from boat to blind in the dark. He may have been the first power chair user to hunt ducks on the saltwater bays.

was waiting for them out in the bay. Once everyone was secured, and the ear muffs were on, Ben fired up the prop.

This time he wouldn’t have to leave anyone behind.

When they reached the blind in the dark, Ben pulled the airboat right up next to the blind so Chris could roll into it using the portable ramp, worked like clockwork. Chris is a C-7 quadriplegic, so for stability when shooting a shotgun he tilts his chair back. He can use his right hand good enough to pull the trigger, so when it started to get light and the ducks started flying, it was like any other hunt.

Everybody killed ducks, including Chris. Ben sat a short distance away watching it all unfold. He had done better.

He had done more. It had been 11 years since Chris had been out hunting on the coast like he used too before his accident.

Were there skeptics along the way? Of course. There were plenty of people who said it’d be impossible to get someone in an electric chair out hunting in the marsh, but “come hell or high water” Ben was bent on getting it done.

Part of the plan included starting his own organization, which he did, called Hell or High Water Outdoors. That way no one would ever be left behind again, whether it be a veteran, a wounded warrior or any challenged sportsman for that matter. Around the 1st of June last year, it became ABLEOUTDOORS.NET

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COME HELL OR HIGH WATER

L-R Sgt. Buck Melton, Jeffrey Watkins, Dustin Mcleroy, Ben Mallon, Chad Waligura and Chase Oliver after a successful morning duck hunting near Port Aransas, Texas.

official. He didn’t know how he was going to do it, or where the money would come from, but he was going to make sure it happened. Ben was all-in!

Ben has big ideas for the future of Hell or High Water. The immediate plans are to recruit more people to help him realize his mission, to be able to take more people out this year than they did the last one, and of course to leave no one behind. There’s already a 2-day float trip on the Trinity River honoring veterans scheduled for the July 4th weekend. And with his 501c3 status approved, he’ll begin applying for grants and seeking out donors for upcoming events. There will be more duck hunts, fishing trips & eco tours, and more boats needed to take people out. At the end of the rainbow, Ben sees an all-accessible lodge on the Texas coast, and an accessible house boat in the sportsman’s paradise of Louisiana, both able to accommodate any vet, wounded warrior or disabled outdoorsman (families included) who need some of the healing peace that only the outdoors can provide. AOM *To find out more info about Hell or High Water Outdoors, or to contribute your support, visit their site at http://www. hellorhighwateroutdoors.org or call 936-635-2096.

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COLUMNIST

CHRIS GILL

ABLE OUTDOORS

AN UPDATE FROM LONE STAR WARRIORS OUTDOORS I wanted to check in and let you know what’s been going on with Lone Star Warriors Outdoors (LSWO) recently and then share some experiences I’ve had with service animals.

We’re gearing up for another full year of outdoor adventures for our Combat Injured Warriors. Currently, we’re in fund raising mode, making sure we get all of our events paid for. On our schedule for this year, we have hunting, fishing, golf and mud riding events, and we’re always open to add new events if we see a need. In the past, we’ve done offshore and fresh water fishing, but we lost those trips this time around, so if anyone reading this has any connections to get our warriors on the water please contact us.

I’ve been scrambling because the organization is growing rapidly, but unfortunately, the oil industry has put a damper on our donations. Both in the hunting industry and the ATV industry, many of our normal supporters aren’t able to help us because they’re affected by the oil industry. When these companies can’t donate items, which we use in our raffles and auctions, our funding gets cut.

It’s a trickle down thing. We still are getting a fair amount of donations which will be used to do the same hunts and rides that we normally do, only they may have to be scaled down a little.

LSWO is always looking for combat injured veterans to participate in our adventures. If you are a combat injured veteran from Afghanistan or Iraq, please go to our website at www.LoneStarWarriorsOutdoors.com and fill out the hunter’s application. Once the application is downloaded, the first page will give you a list of items that must be sent in with your application.

Many people have asked to volunteer. Unfortunately, right now we don’t have room on the hunts for any more volunteers, but we’re always looking for people to help behind the scenes. If you’d like to be one of these people, we need people who can do grant writing, coordination of hunts and more, so please go to the website and contact me via email.

One thing that sets LSWO apart from other organizations is how we combine our fund raiser with an event for our

“Over the years, I’ve personally dealt with many warriors and their service dogs, and seen the life-saving role they play in their lives.” combat injured warriors. We have had one golf tournament already this year and have another planned in August where we’ll get 8 golfers from Fairways for Warriors and put them in the tournament. This is to give them an outing and allow them to play with a group of people they’ve never met. The same goes with our Mud Ride at Muddy Bottoms ATV Park in Sarepta, La., on July 4th. This year’s ride will be July 1-4. We’ll have 8 combat injured warriors there and a group of people that’ll be taking them riding all weekend.

Fun in the mud is what we call it.

For more information on our events, please visit the website and click on the events link for a full listing. We also have a FaceBook page. Doesn’t everybody? Just search for Lone Star Warriors Outdoors.

SERVICE ANIMALS A few years ago I learned the importance of having a service animal first hand. I’d just come back from what was supposed to be a week of hunting with wounded warriors when a train hit a parade float and killed 4 combat veterans. There was nothing I could help with in the town where this happened, so I went on to the ranch where we were supposed to be hunting as these were friends of mine that were physically and mentally invested in these guys who were killed or injured. I was a wreck to say the least. When I arrived, my buddy handed me the leash to his service dog and said take care of her for a little while. I was CONTINUED ON PAGE 27 ABLEOUTDOORS.NET

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RECREATION AOM Twenty-two year old Amber Rangel grew up in Rockford, Illinois, and loved anything in the aquatic environment. An avid swimmer who worked as a lifeguard and swim instructor, Amber was introduced to the thrill of getting behind the boat and skiing… barefoot. Even after she moved to Colorado, she continued to travel back and forth throughout the summers to train for barefoot competitions. She grew to be one of the best barefoot skiers in the nation, winning many competitions and coveted awards in the sport.

Breathing UNDERWATER

By Chris Prange-Morgan & Dawn Ziegler

O

n July 27th, 2014, the day started out as a typical one, with the focus on barefoot ski jumping at high speeds over a ramp. This was a skill Amber knew well, but on this particular day in a routine training run, her foot dropped through the water as she was approaching a ramp at 42 mph, careening her head first into the top of the ramp. The impact broke her neck, paralyzing her instantly.

Unable to move, her limp body floated face down in the water, leaving her feeling powerless and afraid until she was rescued seconds later by her training crew. She was airlifted to University of Wisconsin Hospital in Madison. She was later transferred to the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (RIC) where she spent four and a half months learning how to navigate her new life as a C5/6 quadriplegic.

A month after she was discharged from rehab, Amber was ready to start looking into some of the adaptive activities she heard about through the RIC. “My mom knew Chris Prange-Morgan [coordinator of Midwest Adaptive Climbing in Wisconsin] who invited me to a rock climbing clinic,” recalled Amber. “After that things kind of spiraled from there. My barefoot buddy, Paul Stokes, introduced me to

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Amber Rangel with Tinamarie Hernandez (Executive Director) and Jim Elliot (Founder), her adaptive diving team, at a Diveheart SCUBA trip in Cozumel, Mexico.

Diveheart works with individuals who have a variety of disabilities, including physical and developmental disabilities, spinal cord injuries, vision and hearing impairments, amputations, traumatic brain injuries, Post Traumatic Stress Disorders and more.

Travis Lukens who runs Colsac Skiing… At an Adaptive Adventures downhill skiing event, I met Scott Alm and Sarah Arends-Repka who invited me to a Diveheart clinic.”

Amber was unsure about scuba diving though, “I was afraid of the water after my accident. I honestly had no idea how I was going to be able to dive.”

Such an accident would leave many people depressed and terrified of ever returning to the water. Thankfully, Amber’s resilient spirit and love of adventure paired with the specialized programming through Diveheart created an opportunity to embrace her love of the aquatic environment once again.

Diveheart works with individuals who have a variety of disabilities, including physical and developmental disabilities, spinal cord injuries, vision and hearing impairments, amputations, traumatic brain injuries, Post Traumatic Stress Disorders and more. Its mission is to help its participants “Imagine the Possibilities” in their lives.

For individuals like Amber, attending a Diveheart Scuba Experience (DSE) provided an optimal therapeutic environment which was unmatched by traditional landbased programs. Amber states, “My goal is to become as independent as possible and really push the envelope with what I can do. In the water, I’m finding I can control my buoyancy and weightlessly navigate obstacles, which is something I can’t do while in my chair.”

That experience left Amber wanting more. She had her sights set on a Diveheart SCUBA trip to Cozumel, Mexico, but a prerequisite to participating is to become a certified scuba diver. So over the course of the next year, she completed the online certification and required pool dives offered through the Diveheart Adapted Diver training. The Diveheart programs are offered around the Chicagoland area, Atlanta, and Florida.

When Amber qualified for a full scholarship that covered the cost for both her and her sister, Adora, they booked their flights for an October trip to Cozumel.

Amber met with her certified adaptive diving team, Tinamarie Hernandez (Executive Director), Jim Elliot (Diveheart Founder), and buddy divers Dennis Poirier and Beverly Crowe. They jumped right in with getting Amber setup. “Getting the wetsuit on is a tough job,” she laughed.

“We did a practice dive in the pool first and then a shore dive to make sure my weights were correct and to run through the checklist of equipment.” They also practiced how to communicate under water by using eye contact, head nods, and hand/arms signals.

During the practice dive, Amber found that using a full mask was the only adaptation she needed to use, “A full mask really isn’t a modification, but people don’t normally use them,” she explained. “It eliminates my concern of losing the regulator and it’s easier keeping water out of my mask.”

“It is important to be able to know your gear, how it works, and how to communicate your needs to whoever is diving with you,” Hernandez states. “Amber knows all of this… she can indicate what a regulator is, how to put it together, what her needs are, and will double-check her buddy prior to even entering the water. There are also commands which are important underwater, and Amber is very skilled and competent in everything. Folks with disabilities really are true divers in every sense of the word.”

Next it was time to get loaded on to the boat and head out to the ocean. This was the hardest part for Amber. “It was a trust issue that I was most concerned with,” she explained. “I had to rely on these people to transfer me from the dock to the boat, secure my wheelchair for the boat ride out where we’d be going 40 mph, and then lift me down to get me in the water.” But her team of buddy divers was specifically

Amber and adaptive buddy diver, Dennis Poirier, float towards the sun’s glow on the water’s surface as they end another day’s majestic dive.

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Photo Julia Ignacek

BREATHING UNDERWATER

One of ten dives Amber made with her team (above) reaching depths as far as 75 feet. Amber spent several pool sessions with certified Diveheart divers (left) Scott Alm and Sarah Arends-Repka, to get her scuba certification (Illinois).

trained for working through these situations. “It was a lot of teamwork,” Amber concluded.

Over the course of the week, they would make 10 successful dives in the tropical waters of Cozumel. Each dive was about 40 minutes long and they would reach depths of 75 ft. Each dive was as exhilarating as the next. “We saw all kinds of marine life like turtles, a stingray, lots of tropical fish and a nurse shark,” recalled Amber. Using her arms to move herself up and down was a feeling unmatched to anything she could ever feel on land.

“Cozumel was an amazing experience,” Amber says. “Jim and Tina have such a good connection with each other…

I felt totally safe and everything was very accessible.” Her favorite part of the trip was the camaraderie shared over dinner at the end of each day. Having a chance to relive that day’s dive and share the excitement of what freedom really felt like was very special. “It was a real bonding experience.”

The additional benefit of what volunteers experience with the diving program cannot be underestimated. On the trip 24

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DIVEHEART Imagine the Possibilities

Diveheart is a nonprofit tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization, whose purpose is to provide and support educational scuba diving programs that are open to any child, adult or veteran with a disability, with the hope of providing both physical and psychological therapeutic value to that person. Executive Director, Tinamarie Hernandez explains: “We’ve discovered the forgiving, weightless wonder of the water provides the perfect gravity-free environment for those who might otherwise struggle on land. Underwater, we’re all equal.”

Hernandez states that the buoyancy of the water has countless therapeutic benefits for all persons, but that medical research is indicating that it is particularly helpful for persons with disabilities. “For example,” Hernandez states, “getting someone to depth, which would be 66 feet, provides additional serotonin release which can help provide pain management with residual benefits for up to three weeks…. not to mention the natural gentle compression of the water on joints of folks with orthopedic issues. The calmness

of being underwater is also very beneficial for people who suffer from Traumatic Brain Injuries and PTSD.” Anyone with a disability wishing to try SCUBA in a safe and inspiring environment can participate in any of the Diveheart Scuba Experience clinics located in and around the Chicagoland area, Atlanta, and Florida. Diveheart’s Adaptive Diver training is an online course for anyone interested in learning to dive with a disability and seeking certification. There are also Adaptive Buddy, Advanced Buddy, and Adaptive Instructor training available for those interested in becoming a part of the Diveheart team. For more information, go to their website or email training@ diveheart.org.

to Cozumel, Amber and her sister Adora (age 23) were two of 38 folks who had the benefit of being participants, but the volunteers on the trip were inspired by the love and affectionate banter which the sisters had for each other.

Hernandez shared, “It was amazing to watch these two gals working together; like Adora helping Amber and the happiness that they have together. During a celebration dinner after a good week of tropical diving, both Amber and Adora were recognized for bringing inspiration and validation to our team. They affirmed that ‘this is why we do what we do’. ” Hernandez states that experiences such as Amber’s should be shared so others with disabilities can come to know the incredible benefits of SCUBA. “The word needs to get out!” she says. While adaptive SCUBA is really growing, the hope is to have it become more mainstreamed and an integral part of therapy for all who would benefit.

At present, Diveheart has been instrumental in beginning to lay the foundation to build an aquatic therapy pool to provide SCUBA therapy to people in the greater Chicagoland area. “This would be the first of its kind in the area, and we are totally psyched about it.” Hernandez says.

In the mean time, Diveheart is expanding their programs into areas throughout the world to spread the word about the benefits of SCUBA for people with disabilities. For more information or to become involved, please visit the Diveheart website at www.diveheart.org. AOM ABLEOUTDOORS.NET

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RECREATION

CO-EDITOR

DAWN ZIEGLER

FINDING INDEPENDENCE...

How do you define your independence? What aspects of your life contribute to your independence or lack of (if that’s your perspective), or do you define the quality of your life by the level of independence you have?

The word independent is defined as: not dependent on another for livelihood or subsistence; not influenced or controlled by others.

Being independent is one of those attributes in life that we continually seek out, almost instinctually, as a learned behavior. As an infant, it begins with something as simple as holding our head up, rolling over, crawling, and walking.

From potty training, to starting kindergarten; getting dropped off at the movie theater to getting our driver’s license; getting a job, graduating high school, moving out… these are all things we looked forward to that gave us our independence, freedom, and control of our lives.

So when does it determine the quality of life? Or does it? Is that idea just a matter of how we look at it… our attitude?

There is one thing I know for sure through experience… that is how much I took my independence for granted.

Before my accident I had just turned 16, gotten my driver’s license, and started a job as a waitress. I was in the middle of my junior year of high school and I was starting to think about what I wanted to pursue after I graduated. I was 26

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pretty sure I knew about as much as my parents did, if not more, and that they just weren’t able to accept that yet…

‘Give them time,’ I thought, ‘they’ll come around.’ But what was about to erupt my world, I had no preparation for.

Lying on that bed in the ICU, unable to feel or move anything below my neck, was by far the biggest dose of reality smacking me right in the face. Everything I needed someone else had to do for me, scratching an itch, brushing my teeth, going to the bathroom, moving my body…

Anyone who has lost some ability in any form due to an injury, disease, or accident, understands what I’m referring to. Shifting gears in my perception of myself to find and embrace my new “normal,” as some put it, was a far cry from feeling normal, which by the way felt nothing like being independent.

While in rehab, I was introduced to something that was going to have a profound effect on my life… Velcro! Who knew a piece of material that stuck to itself over and over with great strength, that I could easily find in my mom’s sewing box, would be used in so many ways to give me back some independence.

That wasn’t all. The OTs gave me gadgets for writing, typing, eating, brushing my teeth, and buttoning my shirt. It was a game changer in how I began to feel. More importantly,

AOM RECREATION it got me thinking in a different way. Ever hear of thinking outside the box? The ‘I can’t’ evolved into ‘What do I need in order to make this work?’

Although I was far from my idea of what gaining back my independence would be, the small advances helped me gain some control over my life.

I was later introduced to adaptive activities like sailing, fitness, swimming, and biking. All these activities required creative thinking and lots of patience. Making modifications and learning to vocalize how best to help me became the norm. Through trials and errors, I found myself participating in activities I had no idea were possible, and I found ways of becoming more independent at home.

There is so much more to being independent than simply doing tasks without assistance from outside sources. For sailing, I was able to work my way up to becoming the skipper on a 13’ sailboat even though I still required help. I had to talk my crew through every part of getting the boat set up, using the Hoyer lift to get me in the adapted seat, and manning the sails and lines. The only part of the boat I could operate was the adapted tiller. I had to demonstrate my competency in taking my crew through all maneuvers

including man-over-board drills and landing the boat at the pier and buoy. It was all on me.

Most situations I found myself in required self-directing and relying on equipment, but experiencing adapted activities began to affect the way I interacted with my caregivers and other people around me. I started to feel less dependent on others even though I still needed to have assistance with cares and other tasks. The difference now was that I was in charge of what was happening in my life. AOM Dawn Ziegler is a Wisconsin native who has been living with a spinal cord injury since 1985. She has a degree in Education and operated her tutoring business for 12 years.

After coordinating an adaptive sailing program in 1996, she pursued other outdoor activities and became an advocate for accessible recreation. She organized events for hand cycling, kayaking, shooting, and hunting. She served as editor for Madison SCI and has had four articles published in Spokes N’ Sports and PN Magazine. She also serves on the Board for Employment Resources, Inc., and is a peer mentor for new SCI survivors.

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CHRIS GILL

a bit put out by that as I hadn’t even unpacked yet, but the dog was at my side the entire time I was getting settled in, sometimes purposely getting in my way. When I finally sat down on the steps, she got right up next to me. A few hours later, the dog got up and returned on her own to her master. At that point, I was told that when I got out of the car, she knew I wasn’t “ok” and pulled and made her certain noise to get her master to take her to me. She did her job and I had no idea. It was the most amazing thing.

Over the years, I’ve personally dealt with many warriors and their service dogs, and seen the life-saving role they play in their lives. Even animals that aren’t trained can have an impact. I have a cat that could care less for anyone in the house but me. When I get home, she’s by my side.

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She waits by the shower for me to get out. She stays in the kitchen whenever I cook, and sits on my lap when I’m at the computer. She’s in my lap now. She is my comfort.

There’s something about an animal that calms us, and the fact that they can know that something is happening or about to happen before we do is fascinating to me.

I’ve seen lives changed because of service animals and recommend that if you’re interested to definitely look into it. I’d like to write more about this in a future column. One bit of advice though. If you do get one, make sure they go with you all the time. I have a friend who has a service dog but he doesn’t take him on trips and leaves him home to go to work. The dog has lost some of his training and I’d like to see everyone get the full experience. AOM

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GEAR

PRO-ANGLER 14 HOBIE KAYAK

By Ashlee Lundvall Back in October 2015, Hobie Fishing team member, Gary N-Ski, gave me my first test run on the Hobie Pro Angler 14 fishing kayak. It was an amazing experience, and with a few modifications, I found it to be very accessible and easy to use. As an avid kayaker who is also a T-12 para, I was at first turned off due to the highly marketed foot propulsion system. Fortunately, I learned about the other options, and I am so glad I gave it a chance.

The 2016 Pro-Angler 14 HOBIE kayak is a top of the line, fishing kayak. At nearly fourteen feet in length, the rotomolded polyethylene hull is designed to hold one crew member. It has an elevated Vantage ST seat that is built for comfort and can safely handle a 350-pound person.

This kayak has an overall 600 pound weight capacity, with multiple storage units, including an extra large covered bow hatch with liner, mesh-covered stowage pockets, a rear cargo area with bungeeÂŽ tie downs, and horizontal rod storage for up to six rods. It also allows for an optional eight-gallon, live-bait tank.

The PA 14 has multiple options for propulsion. It comes with 260 cm paddle, T-handle included, for basic paddling.

The kayak also allows for optional sail power by sliding the mast of the sail kit into the sail mount. But what sets this kayak apart is its MirageDrive with ST Turbo Fins. Two-foot pedals allow for propulsion in water as shallow as eighteen inches with a standard fin, and the Click and Go mounting system makes removing the MirageDrive a simple process.

Finally, an optional Hobie eVolve electric motor powered

by Torqeedo uses a waterproof 6.6-pound, 320 Wh LithiumManganese battery that can run for an estimated eight hours and twenty minutes at 2.6 mph, or forty eight minutes at the full throttle speed of 5.8 mph.

Another option for the PA 14 is the H-Bar, which is mounted in front of the seat. It offers extra stability when

LEND-A-HAND

Photo courtesy Gary N-Ski

standing, as well as options for mounting additional gear.

The kayak is currently available in three colors, including Golden Papaya, Olive, and Ivory Dune.

When looking at adaptations for accessibility, the optional H-Bar would need to be lowered, and then it could be used for assistance in transferring in to the seat of the kayak.

The seat itself is supportive enough for someone with a lower level injury, but would need to be modified and a five-point harness added for better support for someone with a higher level injury. For longer periods on the water, extra padding would also be beneficial. The eVolve motor and rudder were very easy to manage, and with a minor adjustment in their location on the kayak, or with a lever extension, they could be a viable propulsion option for anyone with little to complete arm function. Overall, I really enjoyed my experience in the HOBIE kayak, and the independence it could provide would be a game-changer in the kayak market for those living with a disability.

The Pro-Angler 14 kayak retails for $3,299.99. For more information, or to find a HOBIE dealer near you, visit www. hobiefishing.com/mirage/mirage-pro-angler-14/.

The Ultralight 403 Torqeedo motor retails for $1,799.00, with the remote throttle retailing at $299.99. For more information, and to view additional accessories, visit www. torqeedo.com/en/products/outboards/ultralight.

Lend-A-Hand is a simple design created for those with limited to no hand function. Made to hold a bunch of different household tools as well as some recreational items, including fishing rods. As a tip I’d recommend wearing something underneath like a long-sleeved shirt or arm sleeve to make it more comfortable. Very easy to attach a rod & reel with the Velcro straps and can be used for both spinning reels and bait casters. This product is ideal for light tackle. For more information and to order, contact: Lend-A-Hand www.evenparenterprises.com

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ELECTRIC FISHING REEL SYSTEMS

ENABLING FISHERMEN FOR OVER 46 YEARS The inventor of the Elec-tra-mate, P.T. Huffman, decided there had to be an easier way to bring in fish.

After developing an electric reeling mechanism for personal use in the 1960’s, Huffman discovered that many charter boats captains were interested in his device.

First produced in 1970, Electric Fishing Reel Systems currently offers 28 different Elec-tra-mate models designed to make fishing more enjoyable for fishermen with every type of need.

Designed in 2000 with the physically challenged angler in mind, Elec-tramates come in a complete line of reels designed for spinning reels, level wind reels and the larger big game fishing reels.

The model 450-PTH is engineered to power the Penn spinning reels, great for bass, northern pike or any type of freshwater or inshore saltwater species.

The model 452-PTH has the power to handle a number of species without the need to assist the motor by cranking.

Designed for the Penn Spinfisher VSSV4500 spinning reel.

The model 312-HS is for use with the popular Penn 320 GT2 Super Level Wind Reel, lightweight and balanced perfect for women, children, seniors citizens and physically challenged individuals.

The model 413-HS, made for the Penn 330 GT2 reel, is equally at home fighting fish in the Great Lakes or in the Ocean.

The model 415- HS was developed for use on the larger Penn 340 and 345 GTI reels. This is the largest model available and uses with a 12 volt battery pack for fishing anywhere, anytime.

Elec-tra-mate reels are designed for the physically challenged angler and the company cares about this under-served community.

For more information on Elec-tra-mate or any of their quality products, contact: Electric Fishing Reel Systems 336-273-9411 Email info@elec-tra-mate.com

FREEDOM ADAPTIVE SYSTEM The Barracuda is a rod-holder designed to help anglers who have upper body limitations catch most species of fish. It’s a harnessed rod-holder that houses a fishing rod securely in front of the angler for use with either the right or left hand. It helps distribute energy to the shoulders, back, stomach and legs. It also allows the angler to experience a new level of independence, control, and excitement when fishing. The barracuda is made from corrosion resistant aircraft aluminum, stainless steel and nylon hardware and high impact plastic buckles. All aluminum parts that make up the rod-holder portion of this system are powder coated for extra protection and durability. You can use any style fishing rod handle as long as it’s less than 1-1/4 inches in diameter. For best results a gimbal rod butt should be installed on your fishing rod (not included) to prevent the rod from twisting when reeling a fish on the line. Good for taking on larger fish.

Made for one-armed fishermen.

There is a model which holds the rod at a person’s side and another model that attaches to any wheelchair. They are also working on a rodholder that will accommodate a fly rod.

For more info on these products, contact: Freedom Adaptive 425-286-9597 http://freedomadaptivesystems.com ABLEOUTDOORS.NET

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AOM GEAR

NK-100PH M-POW-R REEL® AND POWER HARNESS Nathan Kehr grew up being an avid angler in the Brainerd Lakes area of Minnesota. Born with cerebral palsy, Nathan was unable to use his left arm and hand making him reliant on a partner to assist with fully casting and reeling. His father, Dr. Roland “Doc” Kehr, former co-owner of Lindy Little Joe Tackle Company, was determined to find a solution.

After two years in development, Doc had a finished product. The NK-100PH M-POW-R REEL® and Power Harness from MPOWR Fishing, LLC is a high-quality motorized spinning reel and power harness enabling physically challenged anglers to experience the joy of fishing by automatically retrieving casts at the push of a button.

Designed to fit on virtually any spinning, ice or fly rod, the M-POW-R NK-100PH kit includes the 10 amp motorized reel, power harness, four amp battery with charger, fanny pack, extra spool and a speed control module. Any type of lure can be used.

The system’s motor is durable enough to independently bring in up to a three pound fish. Larger fish can be caught when pumping the rod and taking up the slack with the motorized reel on the down stroke. Nathan’s largest catch has been a 10-pound northern pike.

The reel is designed for individuals who have lost the use of one hand/arm through birth, accident, military action, carpal tunnel, stroke, or arthritis, for example. At this point in development of the product, the assumption is that virtually all users will have someone with them. The level of an individual’s disability will determine how much interaction they will have using the reel: can they cast, can

STRIKEFIGHTER

they open the reel bail, can they hold the fishing rod, etc.?

There is no short and quick answer. Someone has to tie a lure on the line and attach the bait to an applicable lure (hook), so the level of independence in using this adaptive gear will be determined by the ability of the user.

That said there are plans for more adaptations in the making. Currently, MPOWR Fishing, LLC is in the process of partnering with Broadened Horizons, Inc. (www. broadenedhorizons.com) to add enhanced capabilities (such as SIP ‘n’ PUFF) to the reel and power harness. This is an exciting collaboration for the company and hopefully will lead to further developments.

For more information, go to www.mpowrfishing.com [Search under “blogs” to view a short video of Nathan casting with the reel, including a close up of how he opens the bail and secures the fishing line before casting.]

For inquiries contact: M-POW-R Fishing, LLC Dr. Roland E. Kehr, Jr. (218) 820-8113 or (218) 330-3983 www.mpowrfishing.com dockehr@brainerd.net

The StrikeFighter has been around for quite some time.

Made for one-armed fisherman, or anyone with limited function on one side of their bodies, to be able to set the hook and fight fish by using one of their legs to pump the rod. A sit down version is also available for chairbound fishermen which holds the rod in your lap for fighting fish.

The rod butt can be easily removed and replaced during casting, making this product ideal for trolling. The standing model can also be pushed to the side to allow the user to sit down. Attaches securely around your waist. Can be used with light tackle or when fighting larger fish.

For more info, go to: Shelton Products www.sheltonproducts.com/strikefighter.html

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THE RECEIVE-ALL FREEDOMFISHR POWER-ASSIST REEL The Receive-All is another rod-holding assistive device The FreedomFISHR™ replaces a manual crank with a powerful 12V gear motor, making one-handed fishing effortless. Advanced circuitry, along with a new battery technology, brings this system to life with more efficiently than ever before. The FreedomFISHR™ was engineered for weight reduction without compromising power and capability and incorporates Shimano’s popular spinning reel. Most of our customers prefer is the Syncopate 2500, but for even less weight we also offer the more compact Syncopate 1000. The end result is a superior product that is user-friendly and feather-light to make fishing more fun!

Our off-the-shelf system is meant for someone who has use of one arm. It has a two-way rocker switch to operate the reel, one way is always full speed and the opposite is a preset speed set by the user. We do some customizing upon request for an extra fee, but these orders take a little more time to get done. We are dedicated to helping the physically-challenged enjoy the sport of fishing!

“I have been a quadriplegic for 37 years and I have used or have knowledge of every electric reel on the market.

I’m not trying to brag, but our FreedomFISHR™ is by far the best one I’ve used. It is lightweight, only adding 4 ounces to the reel, so you can cast it all day without getting tired. The FreedomFISHR™ has plenty of power, but you still have to fight the fish properly, you can’t winch the fish in. On larger fish, you’ll have to pump the rod (Pull the rod up while not reeling and then reel as you lower the rod down) and let the drag do its work. Don’t try reeling when the fish is running.

The reel works fine and you should be able to land just about any fish.”

If you have any questions about this product, contact: Fishing Abilities, Inc. Dan Badur – President (574) 273-0842 Dan@FishingAbilities.com www.FishingAbilities.com

that is made of molded plastic to fit in the palm of your hand. A detachable portion is what affixes to the fishing rod, or whatever tool you want to use, making it possible to quickly attach or remove from your arm. This way you don’t have to hold the rod the whole time you’re fishing.

It’s ideal for trolling or if someone else needs to cast for you. It can get a little uncomfortable when wearing for long periods of time, so again I’d recommend wearing something underneath. This product is good for light tackle. Visit Receive-All online: www.receive-all.com

BeADAPTIVE REEL CRANKER A product made by BeAdaptive for anyone who has very limited hand/finger function and needs help to work a fishing reel. Attaches securely to your hand and wrist, and extended version is available, to give support while reeling in fish. Both right and left-handed models are sold. The tube fits over most reel handles.

If the reel handle knob is too big, it may have to be removed. BeAdaptive is a company that makes a lot of adaptive devices for challenged sportsmen to use while hunting & fishing, visit their page for more info: www.beadaptive.com ABLEOUTDOORS.NET

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HUNTING

AOM

“Life changes in an instant,” is an old cliché. For me and my long-time hunting buddy Billy Black, that instant was 5:45pm, August 28, 2012. “Dave, Billy is on life support with an infection,” his daughter Jessica told me on the phone one evening.

Mobility-Impaired

By Dave Menicucci

B

HUNTING

eing a widower, Billy had nobody there to call for help when he collapsed in his home earlier that morning. Jessica found him at 3pm.

Sometimes reality can scoop the imagination. On the 27th, just a day earlier, Billy and I were planning our dove scouting strategy. He was ailing with flu-like symptoms but confident of a quick recovery. Billy was, after all, a strong, healthy, intelligent 55-year-old Sandia National Labs engineer.

At 6:45 am on August 29th, I visited Billy as he lay motionless in a hospital bed. Thirteen bags of life-giving fluids were slowly being injected into his body by machines situated nearby. The whirs, clicks, buzzes and beeps of these machines were the only signs of life in the room; it was an unimaginable scene to me.

Billy was in shock and completely unconscious as a staph infection attacked his vital organs and all of his joints. The medical team was optimistic, but also warned us that he was gravely ill and the outcome was anything but certain.

As the days passed, little by little he began to respond to treatment; it started with some movement in his partly opened eyes. Optimism grew among his doctors and the nightmare prospect of me having to carry my friend’s coffin slowly faded.

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Shooting at a target from truck window. New Mexico’s MobilityImpaired hunter card allows Billy to do what would be illegal for most everyone else!

Ten days later, Billy began to show real improvement. I saw the determination that had characterized his personality at work. Although completely paralyzed and completely dependent on machines to remain alive, his eyes were fully open and he seemed to recognize people.

That’s when a demon emerged. After Billy was returned to his room following an MRI of his brain, the medical team reported that the infection had caused “numerous lesions in his brain,” too many to count. This time they warned that when, and if, my friend got better, he may not be the same Billy anymore. Jessica, at the time a fourth-year medical student, was consoling, “Damaged brains adapt; we’ve seen it in stroke victims.”

After decades of hunting and fishing together, Billy and I had become more like brothers than anything else. He was a good, honest, dependable, and compatible hunting buddy, a cherished friend. I resolved right then that we were going to do everything possible to again do what we most loved in life, together. I knew Billy wanted the same.

As we began planning for the upcoming hunting seasons we realized that there was an enormous hill to climb. Not only could my friend not walk without help, he couldn’t see clearly and his body was extremely debilitated...

After several weeks and the infection defeated, they transported Billy to the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, AZ, for six weeks of rehabilitation. During my first visit there to see him, we chatted about hunting and fishing along with his phalanx of ailments, systematically listing the challenges that lay ahead of us. On that day, he could barely stand with help and lifting his arms was unbearably painful.

Vision in his right eye was also damaged.

One of the physicians I met that day suggested how I could help. “Convert the rehab exercises into images of hunting and fishing.” She counseled. “It will motivate him.”

At his next rehab session I attended, Billy’s goal was to maneuver—without help—from a wheelchair onto a padded table. It was a dreadful scene for me to watch. Billy grimaced and wailed as he fought his own body to perform what used to be a simple maneuver. Meanwhile, I shouted, “Billy, there’s a 4X4 beauty on that ridge. Let’s go, buddy!

Get up and cut him off for a shot.” Twenty minutes later, he was exhausted. But he was on the table. The smile drifting across his face said that we bagged that imaginary buck.

From then on, rehab sessions became simulated outdoor events, with walking canes as imaginary fishing rods and brooms subbing for shotguns.

By late November, 2012, Billy was home in Albuquerque, NM, barely mobile with a walker and needing 24-hour nursing care. Once more, I was his first visitor and we celebrated success in our usual manner—by grilling some elk steaks from his freezer. We had taken a cow from the Jemez Mountains in northern NM a year earlier.

As we began planning for the upcoming hunting seasons we realized that there was an enormous hill to climb. Not only could my friend not walk without help, he couldn’t see clearly and his body was extremely debilitated; he was now having to sleep over 12 hours a day. Vast improvements in his stamina were going to be required.

In January, Billy was declared permanently disabled by the State of New Mexico and he qualified for a MobilityImpaired hunter card, which allows him to shoot from the truck and to apply for the state’s special Mobility-Impaired hunts.

Billy was anxious to get into the field, so we made a deal.

A day trip would come after he could walk from his house

Billy dove hunting for the first time after his hard fought recovery.

Dave’s labrador Thunderdog sits faithfully at Billy’s side.

and climb into my truck, and return—all on his own. We also agreed to a multiple-day trip to my mountain home in Los Alamos after he could demonstrate the ability to climb the stairs to the bedrooms with his cane. As for my part, I promised I’d come by weekly for outdoor-related exercises until hunting season. Billy promised to exercise on the days I wasn’t there, in addition to his regular rehab.

We started with the simple task: walking from his front door to the driveway and back. Although I assisted him, the effort still consumed an exhausting and excruciating hour for Billy. The infection had caused something called Acute Painful Neuropathy in his feet; permanent nerve damage.

By the end of February, after steady improvements, Billy claimed he was ready for a day trip. In the meantime, he’d been practicing at home shouldering and holding a gun, slowly building up arm muscles that had degraded to half their previous size. He told me he was itching for the “sweet aroma of gunpowder” from his new 12ga Berretta A400, a managed recoil weapon that would minimally shock his infection-weakened frame.

For our day out, I took Billy to some public land near San Ysidro, NM, about 40 miles northwest of Albuquerque.

We had a few light-load shells with us and I set up some targets in a safe location for Billy to shoot at. Billy lifted the shotgun to rest on the sill of the open window of my truck, and with the gun shouldered on his right side, he took aim.

But instead of a discharge, he said, “I can’t see the target or the barrel.”

Billy’s ophthalmologist had diagnosed him with permanent eye damage, but we weren’t sure how that would affect his shooting. Well… now we knew. As engineers, we both ABLEOUTDOORS.NET

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MOBILITY-IMPAIRED HUNTING

understood the geometry in lining up the eye and barrel onto the target and that the only solution was to try lefthanded shooting.

This type of conversion was extraordinarily challenging for Billy. He had to convince his damaged brain to override his old right-handed habits with left-handed ones. His brain insisted on using his dominant right eye when pointing the gun, a natural reaction after five decades of right-handed shooting. But left-hand shooting requires the left eye for aiming.

To correct the problem, Billy modified some clip-on sunglasses into a makeshift patch over his right eye, one that could be flipped up and down as needed like baseball players use on sunny days. He painted the right side of the glasses black and cut off the left one entirely, leaving the hinge mechanism intact so that he could flip it down for a shot and back up afterwards. Day after day at home, pretend shot after shot, my hunting buddy practiced mounting his shotgun on his left shoulder and pointing it, flipping the patch up and down correspondingly.

By May, we began prepping for dove season. We hunt fields, so we planned to position Billy to shoot doves as they flew by or lighted on a nearby fence. My black lab, ThunderDog, would retrieve for him. Our plan was for me to walk to the opposite side of the field once Billy was set, flush birds, take shots and generally try to keep the doves moving. With the season four months away, we added claytarget practice sessions to our therapy regiment.

Week after week, we shot clays. I wanted Billy to fire as many rounds as he could—which came to around 20 each time. After many disheartening outings, Billy suddenly vaporized a clay! It might’ve been the most important shot 34

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Closed gates like this one are becoming an all too common sight for mobility-impaired hunters on public land. Without special accommodation, it effectively prevents them from being able to access areas open to able-bodied users.

of his life. At least it felt like it at the time. By middle August, he was knocking down one out of every four; his old skills were grudgingly coming back to life.

On September 1, our plan worked to perfection. We arrived at one of the dove weed fields on some public land at about 2pm, in time to set up for the afternoon feed when birds would be flying in and out regularly. Birds were plentiful as I moved around the field jumping large flocks; some of them flying towards Billy’s blind where he took a number of shots.

Billy’s first kill, a nice crossing shot, was as exciting as it gets. I was across the field when I saw the bird crumple in the air and plummet to the ground, stone dead. I raced a hundred yards to my old friend and we celebrated with a congratulatory embrace and back pats. “You’re back, man, you’re back,” I shouted! We had achieved the goal that was set during those dim days in the hospital; we were successfully hunting together again. That day Billy knocked down more birds off a nearby fence and pulled off another beautiful oncoming shot that dropped the bird just in front of him.

In the dimming light of the day, we reveled in success as we field dressed our birds, sipped some beer and enjoyed a beautiful New Mexico sunset. We both agreed that there were few times in our lives when we felt any greater sense of contentment and fulfillment as this one.

Emboldened by our success, in late September we began preparing for Billy’s mid-November mobility-impaired cowelk hunt on the Valles Caldera National Preserve in the

Jemez Mountains. He would likely have to shoot from the truck and gun safety was our primary concern.

We planned for Billy to ride in the back seat of my double cab Tacoma while I drove and he would use the window glass on each door for rifle support. To protect against the recoil breaking my windows, I put a strip of Styrofoam along the top edge of each one.

Before the hunt, we tested the system in the forest. I drew outlines of an elk front-quarter on pieces of cardboard which I strategically placed in safe locations along a road.

Then we turned around to come through like we were on a real hunt. As I drove along and encountered a target, I’d call out “elk right” or “elk left,” and Billy would set up and live-fire his 30-06 left-handed. We repeated this week after week until he could consistently hit the kill zone. We were ready.

The Mobility-Impaired elk hunt on the Valles Caldera was a well organized event with staff on hand to help dress and retrieve downed animals. The hunt was still very challenging for my buddy Billy. While the weather was right, the elk were skittish after being hunted since September and recent rains had rendered some roads impassable and others closed. This was a big deal for us. Roads are of prime importance to challenged hunters because it’s their only means to access hunting areas. While firing from the vehicle can be an advantage to a hunter, it’s more than offset by the disadvantage of not being able to get into the places where the elk are, or whatever game you’re hunting, and not being able to move quickly afoot to position for a shot.

Throughout the entire hunt, we had one encounter with tag-able animals. A bull and two cows crossed directly in front of my truck, but Billy couldn’t make a forward shot from the passenger side window and they escaped. For an able-bodied hunter it would’ve been an easy take.

The following week, Billy and I geared up to go together on our usual deer hunt in the nearby Jemez Mountains, part of the Santa Fe National Forest. This year, however, would be different from previous ones where both of us shared the task of field dressing and packing out a kill. Now there was but one left to do all the work, me, so we had to plan our stalks carefully to drop the animal near the road.

These types of concerns, which are but feeble and fleeting thoughts for regular hunters, are of paramount importance to physically-challenged sportsmen.

Before our hunt, we obtained the newest map that showed the forest road configuration following the final Santa Fe National Forest Travel Management decision. As we unfolded this map on a table in my Los Alamos home, we were shocked. Huge swaths of prime hunting areas were now devoid of roads. “What about the Dome road?” Billy asked. “Closed,” I replied. “How about FS 500?” “Nope.” “What about 287?” “Gone.” And so it went as we discovered one traditional and perfectly useful hunting road after another had been wiped out by the US Forest Service.

In the Santa Fe National Forest, over 60% of all roads have been closed as part of a program to eliminate damaging user practices, such as off-road travel by small vehicles. But

the effort was overdone and it would affect everyone who requires a motor vehicle to hunt and fish their public land, primarily disabled people, some seniors and other folks who need assistance to get around. Billy and I both sat there with dashed hopes, staring at the map. We shuddered because we knew any kind of correction would bring us face to face with a gigantic federal bureaucracy that has little experience in viewing public land access from the eyesight of the disabled and mobility limited sportsman— and no legal requirement to do so.

Unfortunately, we didn’t harvest a buck, mostly due to restricted road access. Next year, Billy will put in for the public land Mobility-Impaired Deer Hunt which is near my mountain home in Los Alamos, but the draw odds are only 50%, with just 20 permits available.

Prior to Billy’s crippling illness, our skills were on par with some of the best in the class of able outdoorsmen. Our goal now is to attain the same level of competence in the realm of Mobility-Impaired hunting.

But one of the most formidable obstacles appears to be increasingly restricted road access to our public lands.

Fundamentally, decisions have been made to close useful roads without considering the needs of the mobility limited user community. Mobility limited hunters and anglers deserve to be at the table when important decisions about accessing our public lands are being made. Billy agrees.

“You can give mobility hunters every advantage, but they are all worthless without open roads,” he lamented. AOM About the author: Dave is currently working toward gaining enough momentum in the challenged sportsmen community to fight impending legislation that will restrict access to public lands. Contact Able Outdoors if you want to join this cause.

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COLUMNIST

ASHLEE LUNDVALL

AN ADAPTED LIFE With the celebration of the Americans with Disabilities’ 25th anniversary in 2015, it is encouraging to look back and see how far our nation has come in protecting its citizens living with disabilities. Unfortunately, even with these positive strides, we still have a ways to go in enforcing the regulations and breaking down physical and attitudinal barriers. One has two choices in a situation such as this. You could choose to sit idly by waiting for the world to change around you, or you could choose to go out and live in this world, changing it as you move forward.

This mindset takes a certain character trait that I believe is vital to survival in a boundary-strewn world– adaptability.

When you face an obstacle, instead of bemoaning the unjustness of the situation, find a way around the problem.

Be creative, be courageous, and pave the way for those coming behind you. While this doesn’t mean that you must accept the inconsistencies and unfair disadvantages, it does mean that you can’t allow them to stop you from living, and living life to the fullest.

Sometimes, despite your best intentions and detailed planning, situations arise that simply cannot be foreseen.

This is where your adaptability can shine the brightest. Is it easier to give up and let the opportunity pass you by?

Absolutely– but this will only lead you to a life of regret.

Instead, take the road less traveled, and at times, less accessible. It won’t always work out, but at least you will have tried. True failure only comes when you don’t even attempt the difficult things.

This lesson is never truer than when adventuring outside.

The great outdoors can be a daunting, inaccessible place.

Its lack of smooth surfaces, level terrain, and controlled outcomes can be a deterrent to many, especially when you consider that most of it is completely unregulated by laws like the ADA. If one wishes to truly enjoy nature, in all of its wild splendor, adaptability is essential. No one, regardless of their abilities, can be fully prepared for what may happen when venturing out in to the forests and mountains, so we all, at times, have to learn to adapt.

This valuable lesson was brought home to me in a very personal way during my October Wyoming antelope hunt.

I consider myself to be a very detail-oriented, prepared hunter. I try to think through every possible situation and ready myself appropriately, but this is the outdoors, and there are always curveballs.

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I was hunting on a private ranch with my good friend, Matt, who knew the land like the back of his hand. He took his time showing me the property from his Jeep Wrangler, explaining where the resident pronghorns were sometimes found, and how the layout of the Wyoming landscape would provide us with some areas that would be somewhat accessible to me in either my Action Track Chair or my manual TiLite.

We were pulling a small trailer holding both chairs when we decided to do some scouting up further in to the mountainside where the trailer couldn’t go. We had several days to hunt, and we were in no hurry, so we dropped the trailer to head in to some rougher terrain. Bouncing along a four-wheeler trail, we attempted to glass for signs of our quick-footed quarry. As we topped a rise, we spotted a small group of antelope, and surprisingly, caught a glimpse of the biggest antelope buck I had ever personally seen.

We stopped to get a better look, and quickly decided that he was one that I couldn’t pass up.

As Matt pulled out the rifle, and I quietly opened my door and swung my legs out of the Jeep, I remembered– I didn’t have either of my chairs. Not a huge problem, as I have shot from a prone position on the ground and out of

Sometimes, despite your best intentions and detailed planning, situations arise that simply cannot be foreseen. my chair before, but transferring all the way down to the ground from the Jeep seat was something that we hadn’t practiced. Luckily, Matt had a dog leash that he attached to one of the roll bars, and I was able to use it to slow my descent.

I scooted over away from the vehicle and set up my shooting sticks and rifle. We watched the herd for quite a while as the buck moved in and out of the pine trees, but I could never get a clear shot. They slowly moved out of range, and we decided to load up and to get into position farther down to attempt to intercept them. As we started to load back in to the Jeep, we realized that we had another problem. Getting down to the ground was one thing. Getting back up in to the Jeep was another thing entirely.

I tried pulling up on the dog leash again, but it didn’t get me high enough. We tried a straight transfer, but my long legs and paralysis made that distance impossible as well. By then I was overheating and my arm muscles were shaking from the failed attempts. It would have been very easy to give up, to let the antelope go, to feel sorry for

myself and my situation– but I wanted that buck!

Matt started digging around in his Jeep and found a hunting vest in the back seat. Holding it up in front of me, we formulated a plan. Matt laid the vest on the ground by the open door. I shifted until I was sitting on the body of the vest and grabbed the dog leash, and Matt threaded his arms through the open arm holes of the vest. With this interesting set-up, we both lifted at the same time, and before I knew it, I was sitting back in the seat of the Jeep.

Success!

We used our new hunting vest trick a few more times before we made it back to the trailer. I also learned I could sit upright on the ground and lean on my buddy in order to make a difficult shot. I was fortunate enough to tag that buck later in the morning, but to me, what I will remember most about that hunt was being put in to a new situation and learning to adapt, despite the obstacles.

Back in my everyday life, I will continue to advocate, continue to battle the injustices, but I will do so with the attitude that regardless of the outcome, nothing will stop me from living my life. As for my outdoor adventures, I will continue to plan accordingly, but I will be aware that no one can be prepared for every situation. Sometimes the only thing you can control is your outlook.

When was the last time you adapted in order to fully enjoy the outdoors? AOM

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ADVOCACY

COLUMNIST

TOBY COLE

NO PARKING I am glad to report that people parking illegally in handicapped spots is no longer a problem. How do I know this? Well, I’ve interviewed several people and done an exhaustive survey. Here are the results: Hypothesis: There are five types of people who park in handicapped spaces without the required permits, but because they fall into these special categories they are really breaking the law.

1. Ostriches (The head-in-the-sand people, a.k.a. the “you can’t see me” people.)

These are the drivers that will not make eye contact with you at all costs. They’re parked in a handicapped spot but they act like they see nothing, hear nothing and are doing nothing wrong. You take several minutes to stare at them until it’s painfully obvious they are actually trying to mentally disappear. After about five minutes of staring at them, you knock on the window. At that point they act startled, as if they’re just noticing you for the first time. They don’t roll down the window. They don’t say anything to you.

They just back up and drive away. They were never really there.

If they never make eye contact with you, ostriches believe they were never parked there.

2. Loopholers (One of the most popular, and my personal favorite, excuses I hear is “I’m not really parked here.”)

These are the people in the blue spaces who keep their cars running. They’re just sitting there. Parked. Talking or playing on their phone. They may be there for a few minutes or an hour. They also don’t like to make eye contact. However, once made, they inform you that they’re not really parked there. Sometimes they’re merely waiting for somebody, or they point out other handicap spots that are available.

How could I have missed the crystal clear logic that because they’re waiting for someone, their car is running or there are other handicap spots available means they’re not really parked there?

I’ve been informed several times by Loopholers that they’d be glad to move whenever anyone needs their space. So all I’d have to do is find a parking spot, transfer out of my car, roll over and ask? Sounds reasonable.

3. Candy stripers (The “striped lines in between handicapped spaces don’t count” crowd.)

These are folks who park on the diagonal lines in between handicap spots. When you pull up next to them and try to 38

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get your ramp out they insist they’re not really there. When you point out they’re parked illegally, they let you know that the striped lines are not really handicap spots. Those are just extra areas for people to park and wait. They seem like they want us to thank them for pointing out all these really great spots up close.

4. Temps (The “I just went in for a few minutes” excuse.)

These are the people that come outside to get in their cars and unfortunately run into someone who points out that they’re parked in a handicap spot. Without a blink of an eye, without ever losing stride to get into their car, they respond, “I’m not really parked. I just had to run inside for a few minutes.”

That was not a parked car you saw. It was a temporary car.

Apparently, there’s a time limit on being officially parked.

5. Oblivians (One of the oldest tricks in the book. The “Oh geez! Is this a handicap spot?” routine.)

These, of course, are people who when you bring it to their attention that they’re in a handicap spot, they look around, they act very confused and they say, “I didn’t know this was a handicap spot. I’m so sorry.” Somehow they must’ve missed seeing the large blue & white symbols they drove over to park, or the handicap sign looming over their hood.

They just didn’t know where they were parked.

My favorite thing about oblivians is that they’re usually repeat offenders. They park in handicapped spaces all the time, and when confronted always claim an innocent

mistake. I wonder if these people park in the wrong garages when they go home at night, go in the wrong house or get in the wrong bed? If so, it’d be quite entertaining to live in the same neighborhood as one of these folks.

CONCLUSION: These five types of people clearly believe in order to illegally park in a handicapped spot you have to intend to park there. They believe that the fact that you can’t see them, they’re still in their car, they didn’t think the striped lines count, they were only there a few minutes, or “Oops, I didn’t realize I was parked there,” absolves them of their bad behavior.

SOLUTION: Like many of you who read this magazine, I’m paralyzed.

When I was 18, I broke my neck in a diving accident and I am a C-5 quadriplegic. I’ve spent the last 25 years in a chair and have used an accessible van to get around in for most of that time.

One of the many frustrations we as chair-users deal with on a daily basis are people parking in handicapped spaces illegally. Not only is it frustrating for us, but also for our family and friends.

Former Houston Mayor Annise Parker started a program several years ago to help address this issue. The Parking Management Department oversees a program called the Volunteer Initiatives Program (VIP) where everyday citizens can become certified to write tickets to people who park in handicapped spaces when they shouldn’t.

After completing a four hour course, I was given the power to write tickets for handicap parking violations. (To find out more about this program, go to http://www.houstontx.gov/ parking/accessibleparking.html.)

There are some limitations, of course. Tickets can only be written to people parking in handicapped spots without a valid license plate or placard. Therefore, there is no way to check to make sure that the person using a properly marked vehicle is actually the person who has the disability, but at least it’s a start point.

The class teaches you how to identify fake placards, and also which situations constitute illegal parking. After the four hours, you are given a ticket book, an ID card and the necessary information to help make a difference.

I have to warn you though. With great power comes great responsibility. It won’t be long before you are checking every car in every parking lot. You will almost become disappointed when you find cars that you believe should not be parked in handicapped spots but have a valid placard. There seems to be an epidemic going on of people getting placards.

Although the program has some limitations, it does make a difference. No longer do we have to sit on the sidelines and complain. We can do something. Now we have an opportunity to serve our community and maybe help the next person that comes along.

If we don’t help enforce handicap parking laws then who will. AOM

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TRAVEL

TITLE If you’re like me, your power

Subhead wheelchair is a necessity of life

and a replacement for your legs. I was apprehensive at first about traveling with a $25,000 wheelchair. What happens if it gets damaged? Will it fit on the airplane? I learned the answers to all of these questions and more - by traveling. In the past two years, I have taken more than 300 flights within the U.S. and abroad - all with my power wheelchair.

Flying with a POWER WHEELCHAIR

By John Morris of WheelchairTravel.org

I

built my website, WheelchairTravel.org, to empower wheelchair travelers with information, so they could focus less on transportation and more on the destination. I follow multiple blogs, Facebook groups and forums to keep myself abreast of the discussions concerning travel in the disability community. I recently saw a post on Facebook describing one traveler’s experience learning his power wheelchair was transported on its side when loaded on to the plane.

MAKE SURE YOUR WHEELCHAIR WILL FIT INTO THE AIRPLANE’S CARGO HOLD. Power wheelchairs should not be transported on their sides, as the risk of damage becomes significantly greater.

Members of the Facebook group in which this was posted were quick to jump on Delta Air Lines, blaming them for mistreating the chair. Although I have had more than my share of disability service issues with Delta, I was quick to ask the important questions: 1. What type of aircraft was this?

2. What were the dimensions of the aircraft’s cargo hold?

3. Were instructions on how to collapse/fold the seat back provided to the airline?

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John Morris, triple amputee, is the founder of WheelchairTravel.org.

As comments critical of the airline multiplied, the original poster returned with some additional information: I didn’t have a fit. I didn’t scream and rant. I didn’t report anyone. On our return flight we requested them not to turn on side and they explained that’s the only way it would fit. So I requested to my travel agency that my next trip if we could possibly have a plane that it could sit up right.

The reason Delta placed the wheelchair on its side was because it would not fit through the cargo hold door upright. Smaller planes have smaller cargo holds, which means power chairs will have to be collapsed (seatback folded forward and/or disassembled) or stowed on a side.

When planning your next trip, consult my list of airplane cargo hold dimensions found on my website.

As wheelchair travelers, we must be adequately informed so that we can understand what to expect throughout the course of travel. The passenger whose Facebook post I [referenced] above was shocked to see their wheelchair loaded on its side because they were not aware of the varied sizes of cargo holds. I have done my best to provide

the pertinent information that wheelchair travelers should know in my website’s Frequently Asked Questions section.

DEVELOP A PLAN FOR COLLAPSING YOUR WHEELCHAIR (IF NECESSARY).

If your seatback will need to be folded forward to fit, bring the tools necessary and instruct the airline how to handle the disassembly. They are more than happy to help, and are required to do so by the Air Carrier Access Act. Given the frequency with which I travel, I worked with my local wheelchair repair shop to fashion a pin that can be easily removed to collapse the seatback. These pins have saved the airline staff and me a great deal of time.

DAMAGE TO YOUR WHEELCHAIR IS COVERED. Many of the post’s most negative comments came from people who had heard a story on the news, or from a friend.

One lady, from the Northeast United States, wrote that she no longer travels by air, for fear of wheelchair damage: I won’t fly because a friend had his Quantum Edge 600 mangled beyond recognition on an airplane in cargo. I have the same chair. The airlines won’t replace a $22,000 chair even if they did I wouldn’t have mine when I arrived. I take the train.

There are a couple things wrong with this comment.

First, the Air Carrier Access Act fully protects your mobility equipment. Meaning that airlines operating to, from or within the United States are completely liable for damage to your wheelchair.

In 2014, my equally expensive wheelchair, a Quantum Q6 Edge, was similarly “mangled beyond recognition.” It was written off as a “total loss” and the airline responsible (Delta) quickly started the process of ordering a brand-new replacement. While I waited for its delivery, I was given a loaner chair, which was far less specialized for my use and needs.

Before allowing fear to dictate your travel plans, allow me to point out an important fact – the accidents that lead to a wheelchair being inoperable are very rare. In the 300+ flights I’ve taken since January 2014, my wheelchair has been damaged a handful of times, but only once was I left

This quick release pin (left) has made collapsing John’s wheelchair much easier. John’s wheelchair control pad (right) was broken away from clasp on a Delta Air Lines flight, but parts were ordered & repairs made promptly.

without the ability to use it. I’ll take those odds, and so should you.

COMMUNICATION WITH YOUR AIRLINE IS KEY. I reached out to a Delta Air Lines official for comments that I could share with my readers on this topic. Specifically, I asked about ways that passengers and airlines can work together to minimize damage: “...engagement with Delta regarding how to best handle and transport a wheelchair would really help us...you know personally that we need specific details on the device and

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AOM TRAVEL

In this social media world, an airline’s failure to promptly repair a wheelchair or mobility device could “go viral” in an instant. A recent failure of service by United Airlines in Washington, D.C. went viral, which led me to write a response, 3 Takeaways from United Airlines’ Disability Services Failure. Bad PR negatively affects the bottom line, and airlines (typically) try to prevent such situations from arising.

then we need to be able to communicate these details to the next station. Coupled with more training for our people on loading and securing the chair, I’m confident that we will make progress in this area.”

There are a lot of people involved in the handling of your wheelchair. Ground staff and gate agents need to be informed on how best to lift your chair. If the wheelchair needs to be collapsed, it will be your responsibility to provide instructions on how to do that. At the end of the day, a wheelchair is baggage, and instructions on its care must come from you, the traveler.

I also spoke to my contact at Delta about the cost of damaging a wheelchair. I received an interesting response: “Damage to a customer’s wheelchair definitely impacts the bottom line...As you know, the damage to our brand is far more costly than any expense involving the repair of a chair. What people think of Delta as a high quality airline is everything.”

CONCLUSION Early this year, at the meeting of the Delta Air Lines Advisory Board on Disability, the airline announced that 3.34 of every 100 wheelchairs transported were damaged in 2014. This figure was much lower than I expected.

Contrary to the discussion with disability groups, though, wheelchairs are not “tossed around” like standard baggage.

I haven’t met a man who can toss a 200-pound powered wheelchair!

Most damage to wheelchairs at airports and on airplanes is accidental. Damage can also be the result of negligence.

In the video I shared on my blog post, you can see a Detroit baggage handler offload my 200-pound wheelchair by himself - that was negligent, and just plain stupid. Power wheelchairs such as mine should be lifted by four people, but even then, accidents can happen.

The earlier you inform airlines of your plans to travel with a power wheelchair, the more time they will have to prepare.

Similarly, a complete set of instructions for handling your device should be attached to your wheelchair. Handling instructions increase the odds (which are already good!) of your chair coming back in one piece.

Airlines face two costs when they damage mobility equipment: to their financial bottom line and to their reputation. At least with regard to handling your wheelchair, the airlines are not out to cause you harm. The strict requirements of the ACAA ensure there will be an unavoidable cost if your chair is not returned in the same condition. AOM

ABOUT WHEELCHAIRTRAVEL.ORG John Morris founded this website after surviving a car accident in 2012 and being told traveling with his disability would be extremely difficult at best. As a triple amputee and power wheelchair user, he set out to change that perspective. Over the course of three years, John has flown more than 300,000 miles and visited 19 countries. As a passionate disability advocate and respected authority on accessible travel, he created this wheelchair travel website to share his experiences and provide others with the tools for planning their own accessible vacation.

Visit John’s blog post on WheelchairTravel.org by going to: https://wheelchairtravel.org/flying-air-travel-withelectric-power-wheelchair-how-to-prevent-damage/

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In his blog, you can access other posts related to this article including: • Video on How Power Wheelchairs are Loaded Onto and Off Planes • List of Airplane Cargo Hold Dimensions • Air Carrier Access Act • Frequently Asked Questions

COLUMNIST

ALYSSA SCHWARTZENBURG

ABLE OUTDOORS

FINDING MOBILITY ABROAD For my initial attempt at writing a column, I’d like to tell you about my first trip to Europe, which was a real adventure for this small town girl from Louisiana.

I’ve heard recently that today’s generation now values experiences over material things, and one of the most popular ways to gain these experiences is to travel. I’m not sure if it’s the hipster movement or what, but it seems like more and more young people are running off to see the world before settling into life. For obvious reasons, this can be a bit more difficult for those of us with mobility challenges.

I’ve always wanted to go to Europe. However, because of the old, historical qualities of many of the popular cities, like Paris for instance, I knew going in the accessibility would be lacking. Plus, the plane ride over could be disastrous if my chair was damaged, which isn’t unheard of. So, as a graduation celebration, my family and I started doing some research to try to take a trip.

After some time, we found a company called Sage Traveling; Sage is a travel agency that specializes in travel arrangements for the mobility challenged and provides accessibility ratings for different cities around the world.

Personally, we found the arrangements to be less “hands on” than we preferred, it included more bus tours and sightseeing than actual activities. Nonetheless, the website and other materials provided gave us a ton of insightful information for planning our trip.

One thing we made sure to do was communicate with the airline we chose about taking precautions for transporting my electric chair. We also made sure all the airport staff we came into contact with understood the importance of keeping my chair intact. We even taped a picture of me to it with a short explanation of how to handle with care.

We removed every part that seemed like it could be easily broken in cargo before boarding and bubble wrapped what we could. In the end, only one plastic piece was broken, but it didn’t affect any functionality and the airline eventually replaced the part. No harm, no foul.

On my first European excursion, London turned out to be a great start! Within the city are the London Black Cabs, all equipped with wheelchair ramps and found at nearly every street corner. Talk about convenient. We were able to see Westminster Abbey, the London Bridge, the home

of Sigmund Freud, Big Ben, do an actual pub-crawl (It was London after all), and tons of other things without having to worry about transportation. The train system was also very accommodating. It allowed us to travel to Stonehenge, the Salisbury Cathedral, and the home of Jane Austen, without much trouble, all of which reside in more rural areas. One thing I’ve started doing is keeping small wooden boards with me to use as ramps to overcome small, one-step thresholds that would be problematic for a 400 lb chair.

They’re convenient and fit in a tote bag or backpack. We ran into one couple on our Jack the Ripper walking tour who actually had a son who was disabled and they loved the idea.

As someone who’s studied French for years, I’ve always wanted to go to Paris but never thought it’d be practical.

Well, my father felt otherwise. He arranged a train ride over to France for the last few days of our trip. I must say, if you plan on traveling somewhere with a language barrier, it really helps to know some of it. Upon arrival, there was a mix-up with our car; it could only hold two people when there were four of us. Oh, and our driver spoke no English.

Needless to say, my language skills were tested. I think I passed, though, since we did make it to the hotel.

Over the next couple days, we went to a Cabaret, saw the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, and more. With the large tourist attractions, like the Louvre, most of the staff spoke English.

However, getting to such attractions proved difficult because we were left to walking or using the bus system.

Apparently, certain “accessible” buses only run at certain times and places. This, coupled with the fact that the drivers couldn’t hear me from outside the bus, made it tricky to navigate. Thanks to a kind, bilingual old man at a bus stop though, we were able to make it back to our hotel.

All in all, taking a trip this big was exciting for me but a little scary at the same time. I was worried my chair would be broken or that the transportation we set up would fall through or the activities we booked wouldn’t be accessible.

Of course, my excitement and determination trampled most of those fears. I really loved being able to see some of the things I’d learned about in textbooks and seeing the different cultures. Some of the most interesting parts of the trip for me were talking to the cabbies and getting to know our tour guides in conversation. It was great for me to see that there’s a way around most travel challenges if you prepare yourself and get creative. I’m already ready to go back! AOM ABLEOUTDOORS.NET

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ABLE OUTDOORS

Catch Location

FISHING

Black Drum Turning POINT Black Drum Tourney, Galveston, TX

LAURA LYNN PHILLIPS AND JOHN ARNOLD

Catch Location

Muskie Southern Wisconsin

CHAD HERMANSON

Location

Catch Location

Turning POINT Black Drum Tourney, Galveston, TX

5 Pound Bass Lake Cayuga, New York

JACK EICKE

Largemouth Bass

Catch

Location

Delano, Minnesota

Location

ABLE OUTDOORS

Bull Redfish

JULIE COLLINS

Catch

JAYSON GORTON

44

Catch

Catch Location

Brown Trout Wheelin’ Sportsmen Mossy Creek Trout Rodeo, Broadway, VA

BRUCE DELLINGER

Catch Location

48 lb Flathead Catfish Lower Black River LaCrosse, WI

JAMES RICHARDSON

150 lb Striped Marlin Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

JIM SULLIVAN (T-11) AND ERIC SULLIVAN

Catch Location

JOE AMAN

Rainbow Trout Lake Ontario, New York

AOM TROPHIES

Catch Location

Rainbow Trout Loon Lake, Montana

MATT SATHER

Catch Location

Yellow Tail Snapper The Keys, Florida

STEPHEN GALEGOR

Catch Location

Amberjack 60 miles offshore Freeport, Texas

COLTON CHAPMAN

Catch Location

Largemouth Bass Lake Toho, Florida

MIKE SCHMITZ

Catch Location

8 lb Rainbow Trout Elk River, West Virginia

STEVE KEMPER

Catch Location

King Mackerel Navarre Beach, Florida

KEITH WINCHELL

Catch Location

Rainbow Trout Lake Michigan

MONICA KAMAL

Catch

Largemouth Bass

Location

Watts Bar Lake, TN

WADE MORGAN

Catch Location

Bluegill Frye Lake, IN

MASON ELLIS

ABLEOUTDOORS.NET

45

CLASSIFIEDS

ABLE OUTDOORS

2008 DODGE 1500 QUAD CAB ACCESSIBLE PICKUP Very nice 2008 dodge 1500 quad cab accessible pickup.

63k miles and has been well maintained and taken care of. All accessible equipment was installed only 10k miles ago so almost brand new! Selling b/c I want a new truck.

Equipped with a Turny seat that comes out and drops down for an easy, level transfer, a wheelchair lift that loads ur chair, a power bed topper to keep it out of the weather, push-button electric gear shift, rain sensor windshield wipers, push-button feature on arm rest so driver can work the horn, dimmers, turn signals, cruise control and wipers without ever having to remove your hands from the steering wheel (tap button with elbow to work all the functions.) Remote start, electric emergency brake, gel cell battery to power all equipment, wired with heavy duty breakers, also has a button to jump start the truck from the extra gel cell battery if ever the regular truck battery were dead (no asking someone for a jump with jumper cables!) 20” chrome rims, new tires, great sounding cherry bomb dual exhaust along with all power windows that the lone star edition comes with from the factory. Just the accessible equipment alone was $30k and the truck alone blue books for $17k. Was asking $33k now REDUCED to $20k. Feel free to ask any questions! Call or text 936-3320074.

RENTAL VANS FROM ADAPTIVE DRIVING SOLUTIONS Rental Vans from Adaptive Driving Solutions location.

Servicing the Houston Intercontinental Airport Airport.

Fully accessible for all types of chairs. Call for reservations and more info on modifications. 281-487-1969.

RENTAL VANS FROM ADA PASADENA Rental Vans from ADA Pasadena location. Servicing the Houston Hobby Airport. Fully accessible for all types of chairs. Call for reservations and more info on modifications.

713-874-9100.

FOR ADVERTISING RATES CONTACT: Chad Waligura Chad@ableoutdoors.net / 979-­‐541-­‐4954 CLASSIFIED AD RATES: $1.30 per word (print rate) BOX-­‐OUTLINED ADS: $80 per square inch

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ABLE OUTDOORS

EASY STAND 5000 STANDING CHAIR Very little use. Like new! All I’m asking is $500 which is a bargain price. Contact Mitch at 281-455-1206.)

HELIUM LIFE STAND WHEELCHAIR - 18” Helium Life Stand wheelchair - 18” – By Permobil. 4 years old. Lightly used; Like new! Great chair but I’m just too tall for it. $7500 OBO. Contact Justin at 832-360-7066.