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Postcards from Venice

Venice, electric wheelchair, all-terrain electric wheelchair, accessible travel, wheelchair friendly travel, travel in an electric wheelchair, accessible tourism, Venice in a wheelchair

In Venice, where gondolas take you on the greatest adventures, and walls hum Carnaval songs, times flies differently. Crowded streets, smartphones waiting for the right angle, and thousands of fridge magnets, may remind us it’s the XXI century, but the walls and the air tells a story of its own. In Venice,  history is the mayor, and it friendly invites everybody to explore everything his city has to offer. Since I had a chance to visit Venice, I am sending you a postcard from Venice with all the info you might need. What to see in Venice? Is Venice wheelchair friendly? The answers are waiting below!

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Everything you need to know about The Winter Paralympics

The Winter Paralympics, The Paralympics Games, sports for wheelchair users, sports for disabled people, para-sports, accessible sports, wheelchair friendly sports, disabled athletes, electric wheelchair

Once every four years, the ancient spirit of sports comes back to take over the news, the internet and ultimately our heads.  In the Olympic race towards the excellence and triumph, numerous athletes from all over the world go beyond their limits to experience the ultimate freedom. They challenge their bodies to redefine the impossible and push boundaries.  That’s the magic of sport: it makes every cell of your body buzz with excitement, and desire to become stronger and faster. Contestants of The Paralympics are the living proof of how capable and strong human bodies and minds actually are. Why? All of them are athletes with physical disabilities, who undeniably go beyond any limits. The Winter Paralympics in Korea came to an end, but it’s never too late to explore the world of Paralympics.  Below you can read everything you need to know about The Winter Paralympics!

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The 5 best places for beginner wheelchair travelers!

places for beginner wheelchair travelers, wheelchair travel, traveling in a wheelchair, electric wheelchair, accessible travel, traveling for wheelchair users

Every master was once a beginner and mastering the art of accessible traveling is not an easy task.  It requires patience, a fair amount of planning and… time! Think about it as if it was a game: each level teaches you new skills necessary for survival. Starting the game from level 99 could lead to great disappointment and even bigger discouragement because you don’t have enough experience yet. The same rule applies to accessible traveling: it’s simply a safe bet to visit accessible cities first and as your traveling experience grows, move onto more challenging places. Since the accessible world is the future, but still not reality, I decided to create a list of the 5 best places for beginner wheelchair travelers! More about it below…

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Wheelchair sports for manual and electric wheelchair users: diving

wheelchair sports, diving for wheelchair users, electric wheelchair, diving for manual and electric wheelchair users, sports for wheelchair users

Deep down in the sea,  where starfish feel at home and the corals flourish, freedom is the ultimate ruler. Underwater, we are home,  given that our bodies are largely made of water. In the kingdom of water, wheelchairs lose much of their importance.  There are only movement and freedom, coexisting together in a perfect harmony. That’s precisely the reason why water is likely to become your best friend, once you befriend it. It’s fun, relaxing and offers countless possibilities of leisure.  Diving and snorkeling included! Since these are perfect sports for both manual and electric wheelchair users, let me tell you more about them below!

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Wheelchair sports for manual and electric wheelchair users: wcmx

wheelchair users, wcmx, sports for wheelchair users, electric wheelchair

Everything started in the skate park and two brothers spending their time outdoors. One of them, Aaron, was watching his brother as he was riding his BMX bike, but he wouldn’t join him. He had been a wheelchair user since he turned 8 years-old, and back then he didn’t know whether wheelchairs and skate parks could go together well. His brother, however, persuaded him to give it a shot, and it worked out perfectly. Aaron was hooked, and eventually, he set out to become an extreme wheelchair athlete. Backflips?  Double flips?  Sure – for Aaron Fotheringham it’s a piece of cake. He has mastered the art of WCMX and proves limits are only in our heads. How does he do it? What’s WCMX like? I’ll answer all these questions below!

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Sports for wheelchair users: crossfit

CrossFit practice for wheelchair users, freedom, sports for wheelchair users, electric wheelchair

There words and sentences, which stick in your mind and burn brightly in the memory days after you’ve heard them.  Once I heard that the greatest project you’ll ever work on is… you. It was a powerful reminder to live, to breathe, to enjoy the moment. Since movement has always been my favorite way to feel alive, I’ve got a natural liking for various types of sports. Extreme sports are my cup of tea and anything that gets my blood pumping fits my idea of happiness. Sweat and intensity don’t scare me away. Crossfit is all about movement and efficiency, hence, it caught my attention.  It’s one of the sports that wheelchair users all over the world seem to love. In all honesty, though, what is actually Crossfit? How can you practice it as a manual/ electric wheelchair user? Who is Diego Coelho? You can find the answers to all these questions below!

 

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In a touristic paradise – Thailand (on a manual and electric wheelchair)

Thailand, Thailand, Thailand… every time I see the rating of travel destinations, Thailand’s somewhere in top 10. Overrated? Underrated? That was a question I asked myself back in 2010 when I decided to visit it. What did I find? A touristic paradise – and I mean what I say. Stunning landscapes, lively metropolises, sandy beaches? Thailand has it all! From the moment I set my eyes on the diverse mosaic of Thai world, I knew I would fall in love with the place.  Friendly people cropped up in every corner, and the word “accessible” was more than an empty promise, so manual and electric wheelchair users can enjoy it as much as I did.  What are the flavors of Thailand? What can you discover there and what does accessibility mean in the Thai hotel industry dictionary? More about it below!

 

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Planning an accessible trip

Planning an accessible trip is not half as complicated as it seems. All it requires is a little bit of traveling knowledge and good organizational skills, and practice makes perfect. I’ve been often asked how to successfully craft a plan of an accessible trip and as much as details would differ depending on a given location, there is one formula which, I believe, never fails: arm yourself with information. The more you know, the safer you are. If you research your options, it’s also easier to come up with a backup plan if something goes wrong. The knowledge’s your secret weapon, so don’t leave yourself unarmed. That’s my number one advice, but I have more secrets to share, and they will be slightly more practical. Below I’ll share with you a large share of my travel tips – accessible traveling’s within your reach!

 

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Extreme sports for wheelchair users

Since I can only remember, I’ve been in love with thrill. The thrill you get, when your body’s on the edge and you can feel the adrenaline rushing in your veins. I’ve always wanted not only to exist, but also to feel alive and as years were passing by, that desire wasn’t sinking into oblivion. No, quite the opposite – my appetite for life has been only becoming greater. I am hungry for adventure and every obstacle on my way makes a final success ever sweeter. Cars, bungee jumping, racing – you name it, it’s my fuel. Extreme sports are a wonderful option for all of us seeking thrill, and they’re suited for everybody. You’ve heard me correctly: extreme sports and wheelchair users actually go together well! The only thing you’ll need is a little bit of courage – freedom’s just a stone’s throw away from your safe zone.  What’s waiting for you below? A list of extreme sports for wheelchair users!

 

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WALKING A DOG IN THE SNOW

Deep snow Blumil ride

You can really feel that it’s winter in Poland. It’s cold and there are loads of snow. To leave the apartment on my manual wheelchair, it’s a real challenge. It’s not easy to push through the snow. On the Blumil it’s actually fun. I went to a nearby forest for a run with my dog. It was fantastic. The sun was shining, I was racing going constantly at speeds up to 20 km/h and chasing around with my labrador Coco. Moving around like that really made me forget that I’m disabled and the Blumil doesn’t feel like a wheelchair at all.

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