Adaptdefy

There was a crowd around Andrew Skinner at the Abilities Expo in Los Angeles. He and the Triumph Foundation which he co-founded have made such an impact on peoples' lives that everyone wanted to see him. During this podcast interview it was easy to see why. Andrew broke his neck while on vacation at a ski lodge and even though his injury was in 2004, he still calls himself a recovering C6 quadriplegic. Combining determination, empathy and a willingness to put others before himself, Andrew has helped build an organisation and community that goes above and beyond to help others triumph after disaster. 

In this episode we explore:

There aren’t many people with a goal to live to 109 years old, but Benveet Gill (Bean for short) has her sights firmly set on this and other lofty goals. Struck down by Transverse Myelitis and paralyzed from the waist down while on vacation with her friends when she was 30, Bean turned the worst moment in her life into an opportunity to work on her mental health, build a thriving rehabilitation business, and help change healthcare and services for the disabled in Canada.

Key learnings and tips and tricks from this podcast include:

Jeremy McGhee is one tough dude. He's pushed his paraplegic body to breaking point in the mountains, in the surf, and in the gym, and is now on a mission to document the world's mountain bike tracks for adaptive riders, through his organisation The UNpavement. This is a must listen episode if you love outdoor adventure and biking. Check it! 

What do you get when you combine skate, BMX and motocross culture with a fiery redhead who was born with Cerebral Palsy? You get Katherine Beattie, the first women to do a backflip in a wheelchair and also an award winning Hollywood writer. These talents combined with an infectious personality have allowed Katherine to help change the way people view disability. Don't miss this episode!

It's unbelievable that Richard Corbett is still alive. A 50 foot fall into an underground parking lot didn't kill him, but an addiction to pain medication and a mental breakdown,  nearly did. Finding his way out of the darkest of places, Richard is a now world class YouTube video producer making informative how to videos for newly injured wheelchair users. 

Teal Sherer is an award winning actress, who also happens to be a wheelchair user after a car accident left her a paraplegic when she was 14 years old. Teal shares her tips for being an actor as a wheelchair user, her thoughts for how society views wheelchair users and hr role in educating the public on what really goes on. Check it out. 

Brooklyn might be considered the hood, but to Garrison Redd it has always been and always will be home. Even after the self-proclaimed authentic Brooklynite was shot in the back just steps away from his childhood home. An immensely physical and intelligent teenager, his life was thrown into turmoil as he lay in the hospital bed, learning he would never be able to walk again. But wise words from one of his doctors: “you might not be able to play football, but you can still coach,” soon changed his entire perspective.

Now a model, a Paralympic powerlifter, public speaker and the founder of the Garrison Redd Project, an organisation that runs adaptive programs for people with spinal cord injuries, there’s almost no stopping Garrison from achieving his goal.

All that’s left is to become the mayor of New York City.

Paralyzed in a car accident at age 13, Reveca thought her dreams of a career in art and fashion were over, but rolling in the footsteps of Mexican legend Frida Kahlo, Reveca has forged a career in the arts and is a pivotal figure in the disability rights movement in Chicago. She is the co-Director of ReelAbilities Film Festival, founder of Backbones and uses painting, illustration, photography, film, movement, and other media as a tool for advocacy and social justice. 

Martyn is a man on a mission. A mission to make our society a more inclusive place to live.  He's had to overcome major spinal fusion surgery, fundraise for vital mobility equipment, manage strangers to do his personal care, fight bouts of pneumonia, struggle through inaccessible housing, experience weird societal stereotypes, and many other barriers. He is the co-founder of Disability Horizons, a published author, podcast host, adventurer, government, business & charity adviser, and entrepreneur. He co-founded Accomable which was later acquired by Air BnB and is on a mission to travel and adventure to as many places on the planet as he can. He's a self confessed smiler with Spinal Muscular Atrophy . 

Yannick Benjamin is a world class sommelier (wine expert), the founder of charities Wine On Wheels and Wheeling Forward, and a man who knows what it's like to push through barriers to do what he loves. Yannick has paved his way into New York’s restaurant scene as an Adapdefying wheelchair using Sommelier Extraordinaire!