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The Winter Paralympics 2018 in a nutshell!

The Winter Paralympics 2018, Winter Paralympics in Korea, sports for wheelchair users, winter sports for wheelchair users, electric wheelchair, all-terrain wheelchair, accessible travel, off-road wheelchair

When The Bandabi Bear says goodbye and Korean slopes don’t greet thousands of Olympics fans anymore, it’s high time for me to summarize The Winter Paralympics 2018!  The event, which began on 7th March 2018 and ended on 18th March 2018, featured para-athletes from all around the world. It was a wonderful evidence of human strength and determination, and I was impressed by contestants’ restless drive to do better, to be faster, to go beyond limits. Since defying limits is also my personal mission, keeping up with The Paralympics was a pleasure! What did The Winter Paralympics 2018 look like? Find out below!  Continue reading “The Winter Paralympics 2018 in a nutshell!”

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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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Relaxing spa – weekend in the countryside

Blumil rides in the countryside

Once upon a time, my countryside trips would be limited to exploring whatever was a stone’s throw away from the hotel. Going off the beaten track was impossible: both my old manual and electric wheelchair wasn’t cut out for country adventures. While my friends were off to enjoy the nature, I would be looking at everything through a window.  Luckily, everything changed once I got my Blumil electric wheelchair. You see, unlike regular wheelchairs, Blumil’s very light and it’s easy to navigate it – even when the terrain’s  challenging. That’s what freedom feels like – I can go anywhere and do about anything. Most of the times my friends are the ones who need to catch up with me –  my Blumil’s faster than you would think. Doesn’t it sound perfect for countryside trips?  I thought it did so I packed my bags and headed to “Herbarium”. What’s that?  It’s a hotel and spa centre located in Chomiąża Szlachecka, Poland. Not too close, yet not too far away from Warsaw where I love, it made a perfect weekend getaway destination.

Let’s put it under the microscope!

 

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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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FALLING IN LOVE WITH BARCELONA: PART II

Falling in love with Barcelona felt natural, as I entered the city for the first time… in 1992. Barcelona was preparing for the Olympics, which were soon to transform a fairly unknown place (outside Spain!)  into a popular tourist destination. I looked at the skies above the city and the sea, painted in all shades of blue, and I knew there was no turning back. Parts of my heart stayed in Barcelona, never to come back. Since 1992, I’ve visited the city numerous times, and I never get bored of it. White Christmas is exactly the opposite of what I came for to Barcelona, and I got what I wanted. The weather was absolutely wonderful – it was sunny and warm as if it was the middle of September, not December. If you want to finish your year with a big bang, Barcelona is a way to go. What to do there? What to skip there? What to know? More about it below!

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BETWEEN BUDDHIST TEMPLES AND SKYSCRAPERS IN TAIPEI

Navigating between Buddhist temples and skyscrapers felt unreal.  Don’t get me wrong – I knew Asia was becoming synonymous with a modern architecture. Still, to know something and to experience it firsthand: these are two different things. There I was in Taipei, watching two seemingly different worlds collide. I didn’t see it coming. While I didn’t take the wrong plane and magically appear in Taiwan, my trip was spontaneous.  Since me and my friends decided to take a 10-days trip around Asia,  we thought visiting Taipei could be a good idea. If I had to make a list of all travel decisions I regret, Taipei wouldn’t have made the list. It wasn’t the nicest place I’ve ever visited, true. Still, just as if skyscrapers and old temples weren’t a bizarre combination,  there was something balanced about the city. Something promising that I will try to put into words

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EXPLORING CANALS OF AMSTERDAM

Exploring canals of Amsterdam was the most fun thing I’ve ever done in this city. I know it may be surprising since many people would link Amsterdam to great coffee shops or a laid-back atmosphere. Probably it offers things more “fun” than canals, but it is what it is – the city’s never been my favourite. Before going there, I have already heard of its wonderful coffee shops and The Red Light District. (Un)fortunately, I’ve never been very much into any of those, so the city didn’t really cater to my travelling needs. Still, I think it makes an interesting place to visit, and I’m going to fulfil my duty as your travel chronicler. How accessible is Amsterdam and what does it offer to people, who are eager to explore it? Keep reading and I promise to tell you everything I know.

 

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PARTYING IN PUERTO PLATA, THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

Sunshine, lovely beaches, the Caribbean Sea and a perfectly blue sky – Dominican Republic has it all. I’ve never been a sun shy person, so when I visited Puerto Plata back in July 2006, I fell in love with the Dominican Republic. Puerto Plata’s located on the northern coast of the Dominican Republic, and it’s full of touristic resorts.  I was there for two weeks, and oh my, these two weeks I will always remember! 

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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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EXPLORING DUBLIN, IRELAND

What’s the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear Ireland? Good beer, Dublin, shamrock leaves, pubs, Saint Patrick? In my head, it’s probably some kind of mixture all of these, but the first word that comes to my mind would be: fun. I visited Dublin back in August 2004, and my trip was definitely the one to remember., even though I haven’t had an electric wheelchair those days. I had the best of all worlds: a bit of relax, a lot of fun and some sightseeing to explore the city. What I loved there, what was less than lovable, what’s worth seeing? All of the answers, you can find below!

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