Paralympian Aaron Phipps, made history by ascending to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro practically on his hands and knees. While he did begin the journey with his manual wheelchair it quickly became apparent that it wasn’t going to be suitable for the rough terrain of Mount Kilimanjaro. Part way through the climb he got out of his chair and just began crawling on his hands and knees, just to prove the point that he could do anything he set his mind to. When you consider that the man climbed Mount Kilimanjaro you could argue that he’s able to do some things many able-bodied people would never do.
It took Phipps around five days to make the climb from top to bottom but, considering how he was climbing, that’s hardly a surprise. Even though his manual chair was uniquely designed it did not grip and was not suitable for the off road conditions, as a result he found that going on his hands and knees was easier and possibly even faster. Phipps admitted that there were times that he thought he wouldn’t make it to the top and that he cried when he finally made it to the top but he, along with everyone involved and many people around the world, are extremely proud.
Paralympic wheelchair rugby player Aaron Phipps at the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro after his charity climb to raise awareness of Meningitis
Of course not everyone has the muscle power necessary to climb their way up to the top of a mountain, but with improved adaptive technology there are many opportunities for people with a disability to tackle new and exciting challenges.
Phipps’ manual wheelchair proved to not be ideal for the rough terrain but there are specially made wheelchairs out there that can traverse almost any kind of terrain.
Wheelchairs such as the Four Power Four can take you over surfaces that seem impossible such as snow, sand, forest, mud, a stream, really it can get you through just about anything. If you’ve ever felt that you can’t go to the park or take a trip through the beach because of your wheelchair, it is worth looking at an all-terrain wheelchair to give you the power to go anywhere you want to. An all-terrain wheelchair opens up possibilities of new adventures that can take you just about anywhere.
Check out the 4Power4 Wheelchair in action:
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