My name is Kieran and I have cerebral palsy. This blog is an attempt to share my outdoor adventures as a powerchair user, as well as my experiences of owning a Trekinetic GTE and being wonky in general.
How It Started
33 years ago a legend was born - although he was born a little too early and ended up not breathing, because who needs oxygen anyway? :/
I was 26 weeks when I decided to make an unexpected appearance. I was tiny and the photo was obviously taken with a "he might not make it" mindset.
Against all the odds I'm here and - in a nut shell - I walk funny, of course it goes deeper than that but it could be worse, right?
How It's Going
Daily life is good but over the last few years I've noticed my knees are the main problem limiting how far I can go in terms of adventures or just day to day activities - they just don't take me as far as they use to and it was becoming a frustrating worry. Conveniently about a year ago I started talking to Katy who also has cerebral palsy, and it's safe to say she has opened up a whole new world for me and changed the way I see my disability.
I've never had a wheelchair and the idea of one was always a scary thought but Katy eased me in gently as we ventured around Naidex and had other adventures - it was nice to not have achy knees the next day!
At Naidex we got to try latest Trekinetic offering as well as the SDMotion Trike and you guessed it, at the end of the day I was sold on getting a powered wheelchair! I did very much have my heart set on the SDMotion Trike but buying either chair later turned out to be impossible due to the hefty price tags and no funding available.
After a team effort of scouring Facebook and eBay, Katy found a lovely lady named Ann who wanted to find a new home for her chair and that's where this all started.
A few months later I bought a van that has a ramp which makes getting my wheels in and out so much easier, and since then I've been regularly adventuring.
Aside from getting wheels and a van, life has changed a lot over the last few years. I had a very bad experience at an old job with my disability, at the time it felt like the end of the world... but things happen for a reason and for the last 3 years I've worked full time from home for an amazing boss that fits my disability around the job instead of the other way round. Importantly I now spend time on myself going to the gym and having regular physio sessions which is something I neglected before for fear of being a pain or inconvenience and it very much loomed above me like a black cloud chipping away at my mental health.
...as for the rest of this story? you'll have to wait and see!