Spina bifida isn’t stopping Aaron Fotheringham who recently became the first person to do a double back flip in a wheelchair.
The 18-year-old from Las Vegas, who goes by the nickname Wheelz, started out by going to a skate park with his brother who rides a BMX bike. Soon enough, Fotheringham was taking on challenges of his own. Ultimately, he used a 60-foot bungee cord to gain speed in order to go up a ramp and complete the flip.
Pulling off the stunt was the result of months of practice and a few mishaps — including a broken wheelchair — but he says it was worth it.
“I don’t think of myself as being in a wheelchair. I’m on a wheelchair. I ride it like it’s a bike,” Fotheringham told HLN. “Just go out there and live. Just have fun.”
Need to contact CNN and remind them about person first language. Did they NOT LISTEN to this spectacular young man about how to speak of people “on” wheelchairs – not “confined in” to chairs??
I told my son this kid is an orphan – no way would a parent allow him to do that! The single, maybe, but that bungee-cord launch, no way. (actually, probably wouldn’t be too cool with the single). My son, T10/11 due to a car accident, on his own, instructed his re-hap team to “stop telling me what I can’t do – tell me how to do what I want to do”… and then asked about parachuting. Parenting does have its moments…