Ramon Canellada’s initial reaction to his spinal cord damage was to lock himself in his home. Diagnosed with spinal cord tumors in his early 20’s, Ramon searched for a cure, trying “all kinds of concoctions, even voodoo magic.” He insisted on using a walker in his home, even though it was difficult and exhausting. Soon, however, his sister arranged to buy a wheelchair from a co-worker whose son had died due to a malignant spinal cord tumor. The man brought the chair to Ramon and talked about his son—Ramon remembered him saying that his 12 year old son had loved playing wheelchair basketball.
Shortly after, Ramon used the wheelchair to attend a wheelchair basketball tournament at the Navy Pier in Chicago, his home town. This outing was important—it helped him to realize all that he was missing. He began to adjust to life as a wheeler, and got involved in wheelchair sports at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (RIC)’s Center for Health and Fitness. Soon this young Hispanic man from the “Hood” was volunteering at RIC and becoming immersed in wheelchair sports. He developed friendships and became motivated to pursue an education, completing his GED and several years of college.
Now 36, Ramon’s life revolves around sports and his work as a counselor in the extended services department at Rehabilitation Hospital. He cross-trains to preserve his shoulders and strengthen his heart, lifts weights, watches his diet to keep excess weight off—and hand cycles, plays golf, sled hockey, basketball, football, and softball! He is in great shape, has low cholesterol, and has no signs of the diabetes-related problems that his family members experience and that are prevalent in the Latino community. Ramon offers this advice to other wheelchair users:
- Make time for sport and exercise—it’s worth it!
- Balance the muscles you’re using to avoid overusing any of them.
- Pay attention to your whole body—even a pinky can be important in transferring!
- Challenge yourself to overcome barriers!
For his brothers and sisters in the Hispanic community, Ramon has additional advice—he urges them to reach out and use the services that are available to have a good life, and to find role models, male or female, who can inspire them. For Ramon, great athletes were inspirations for him to become as healthy as he could. As a man who transformed himself from a homebody to an active athlete who motivates others, Ramon Canellada just might be one of those role models!