As a child, Heather Grace’s school physical education program focused on individual physical therapy rather than group fitness activities. Born with spina bifida, she sometimes used a walker and other times used a wheelchair. In her town of 135 people, she had no friends with disabilities, no adult role models in wheelchairs and no awareness of wheelchair sports. At age 15, she began using a wheelchair exclusively due to surgery. However, in high school and college, she found few fellow students in wheelchairs and no information about fitness for wheelchair users.
In her twenties, Heather became aware of wheelchair sports and literally googled the term to learn more. She remembers calling a local group and saying, “I’m not really sure what I’m looking for but can you help me?” That started a process of trying out accessible sports—hand cycling, basketball, tennis, snow skiing, water skiing and jet skiing. She loves some activities and continues to pursue them—she now owns her own hand cycle, and skis when she has an opportunity. She dropped basketball, however, finding it hard to compete with tall men in wheelchairs, who often had developed athletic skills before becoming disabled. She plays tennis occasionally but does not count it among her favorites.
To maintain her fitness, Heather does adaptive Pilates at a local gym each week. She lifts some weights there and has found that the gym has a Nu-Step, a seated elliptical machine. She also has a device that transforms her hand cycle into a stationery device, although she admits using it that way is not nearly as much fun as using it outdoors with a group of cyclists!
What are the benefits of exercise to her? Now 30 years old, Heather says that it increases her stamina and helps her to maintain a healthy weight. She credits sports with helping her to gain confidence and to meet lots of new people. She is proud of her recent accomplishment of cycling 60 miles in the “MS 150”!
Heather advises other wheelchair users wanting to become more active and fit to be persistent in looking for activities and to try linking up with others who have similar goals. There’s something for everyone, she says, and it’s worth trying to find it.