Good Bye Quickie GP

It's time to wrap up my experience in the wheelchair. This past Monday night I sadly returned my new friend, the Quickie GP. The week went by rather quick and I would like to think that I "adapted" to the chair fairly well. It was rough going the first couple of days, but after I worked out the kinks things got a lot smoother. Although I did not quite perfect the wheelie like I had hoped, it sure was fun trying.

After last Wednesday I had a pretty boring rest of the week. The weather did get pretty nice so we went outside around the neighborhood. You do not realize how bumpy a sidewalk is until you have to stroll around in one. That is one thing that held true the whole week...every time I left the apartment I did experience something new. The last day was another day at school with time spent in the gym. I had the students play volleyball and after class I stuck around to hit the ball around. I must admit that it is not very much fun playing volleyball by yourself in a wheelchair. I did find that I was better at hitting the ball over the net than I was shooting three pointers though. I look forward to taking part in some wheelchair sports this semester just to see how tough it really is.

All in all it was a great experience that I am glad I had the opportunity to take part in. This was something that you can not prepare yourself for if you have never been in a wheelchair. I tried to imagine what it would be like and as soon as I sat down in it for the first time all that went out the window. Every day was a new challenge and with it a greater appreciation for those who have to do this on a daily basis. The whole time I kept thinking that if I ever found myself permanently in a chair that at least I would have some sports to keep me occupied. Anyone that grew up playing sports, you realize that it is something you will take with you the rest of your life. You can not let anything get in the way of your passion and always keep finding ways to overcome obstacles.