Adaptdefy

When doctors said Aaron Baker would never regain function he visualised the outcome he wanted and set about proving them wrong. Aaron is the founder of the Center of Restorative Exercise (C.O.R.E.) and believes that exercise is medicine.  

Roy Tuscany is the founder of The High Fives Foundation whose vision is to be the “safety net of the outdoor action sports community”. Roy is such a positive guy, he hardly has a bad word to say about breaking his back, and has paid his experience and gratitude forward to help others find their freedom in the outdoors. Roy’s attitude and zest for life is exactly the spirit you need to become an Adaptdefier.

As if riding a skateboard wasn’t hard enough, paraplegic Erik Kondo has found ways to ride them while in his wheelchair. And while at first this sounds foolhardy, there is some real logic behind his pioneering way of thinking about movement in a wheelchair. Erik is a strong advocate for finding ways to be free in a wheelchair without expensive equipment. 

From remote wilderness rafting trips, to yacht racing, to business and politics, paraplegic Quentin Smith is a true all rounder. But it’s took Quentin time and introspection to get there. Finding the cause, and a way to move past, “depression” helped Quentin build his emotional intelligence that enables him to thrive in his personal, family, business and community life.  

From the highs of a professional mountain biking career to the deepest lows of living life paralysed from the waist down, Tara Llanes has risen again to become a world class wheelchair athlete and leader in the adaptive mountain biking community. 

Paraplegic Helen Smith has found novel ways to explore the outdoors by literally harnessing her friends so she can go on multi-day camping and rafting adventures. She takes a lightweight approach and has many wheelchair life-hacks to share. She is the winner of a Churchill Fellowship which allowed her to travel the globe discovering just how accessible adventure with a wheelchair can be.