Parenting, Year One Gulf Coast Jewel Aging with Siblings The Paralympics: Highs and Heartbreak in Rio life beyond wheels TO SUBSCRIBE, CLICK HERE newmobility.com DEC 2016 $4 REACH FOR THE STARS WITH THE TEK-RMD Performance artist and T-9 paraplegic Tresa Honaker, founder and artistic With the TEK, tasks like decorating your home for the holidays, standing director of the AirAligned aerial dance group and the AirAligned Academy, tall at holiday functions, and preparing a holiday meal are simple once puts the finishing touches on the Christmas tree at her Sacramento, CA again. The TEK provides the health benefits of standing with the ability studio. The TEK-RMD from Innovations Health doesn’t just stand Tresa to go where you need to go, and do what you need to do. Call or email up, it lets her move gracefully while standing and allows her to perform a today to arrange a demonstration in your home, and discover the art of wide variety of activities that were currently out of her reach. mobility with the TEK-RMD from Innovations Health. (800) 659-4548 Robotic www.InnovationsHealth.com Mobilization Powered by Device www.facebook.com/InnovationsHealth THE ALL-NEW 2017 VMI CHRYSLER PACIFICA unrivaled interior space ⋅ in-floor power ramp ⋅ interchangeable front seats mobility without compromise VMI’s Chrysler Pacifica provides freedom and flexibility so you can live your life the way you always imagined. contact us to learn more: vmivans.com | 855-VMI-VANS CONTENTS VOLUME 27 NUMBER 279 December 2016 life beyond wheels FEATURES 17 BABY SOLUTIONS STEPHANIE ARRACHE has gotten a crash course in parenting from a wheelchair since welcoming her first child in January. She shares the secrets to success. 20 A SUNNY SOUTHERN SOJOURN Manatees, snake birds and alligators help WILL SIERRA find inspiration on a relaxing accessible adventure to the Florida Gulf Coast. 40 JUST THE SIX OF US CINDY HALL RANII reflects on how her SCI has impacted aging with her five siblings. COVER STORY PARALYMPICS: RIO 2016 24 Fear of Zika, budget woes and safety concerns didn’t keep the world’s top dis- abled athletes from rocking out at the 2016 Paralympics. Ace photographer LOREN WORTHINGTON captures the highs and lows of the games from behind the lens of his camera, while SETH MCBRIDE provides an inside peek at life as a U.S. Paralympian. Finally, EMILY ROSE YATES reports on the legacy of the games. Cover Photo by Loren Worthington Contents Photo by Karla Worthington DEPARTMENTS 4 BULLY PULPIT 14 EAT WELL, LIVE WELL 6 LETTERS 35 SPOTLIGHT 8 NEWS 42 OUTDOOR TRACKS 10 EVERYDAY ADVOCACY 44 RAISING A RUCKUS 12 SCI LIFE 48 CRIP BUZZ BULLY PULPIT life beyond wheels DECEMBER 2016 NEW MOBILITY IS THE MONTHLY MAGAZINE OF PRESIDENT & CEO: JAMES WEISMAN VICE PRESIDENT OF PUBLICATIONS: JEAN DOBBS Focus on Our Strengths Sixteen years ago this month I edited my first Now, with a new president soon to take EDITORIAL issue of NEW MOBILITY. The total number of sto- office — a man who showed little interest PUBLISHER: JEAN DOBBS ries and columns that have been published in us as voters and who mocked a disabled EDITOR: TIM GILMER in NM since that time is pretty close to 2,000, reporter — we have a new challenge to MANAGING EDITOR: JOSIE BYZEK and what amazes me is there seems to be no overcome. Already (as I write this in mid-No- SENIOR EDITOR: IAN RUDER end to unique stories about wheelchair users vember), we have seen massive protests from SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: BOB VOGEL and others with serious mobility limitations. other minorities who feel threatened as well. making travel easy for individuals with spinalEDITORIAL cord disabilitie SUBMISSIONS:s A major theme is that most of the stories In the major city nearest where I live, Portland, [email protected] have been less about problems and more Oregon, a protest march devolved into a riot about successes in adapting to lifestyle changes. More about courage and persis- I believe we all possess an innate CUSTOMER SERVICE tence than tragedy or failure. And this has taught me something about human beings ability to adapt and survive, but we Toll-free 800/404-2898, in general. I believe we all possess an innate only discover this latent potential ext. 7203 ability to adapt and survive, but we only dis- cover this latent potential when confronted when confronted with personal with personal tragedy and long odds. Faced ADVERTISING SALES tragedy and long odds. with a daunting future, we set about trying to 718/803-3782 invent a new one. NATIONAL SALES MANAGER: It takes time to adjust, but eventually each when anarchists joined in and vandalized MEGAN LEE, EXT. 7253 of us embarks on a journey to find solutions businesses to the tune of over $1 million. It AD MATERIALS: was not a pretty sight, and the protesters, no DEANNA FIKE, EXT. 7250 to our everyday challenges. Every day we wake with the same limitations, or in some matter how valid their fears, lost face, and PRODUCTION cases new complications, but we persist in more importantly, respect. As a unique minority group, we need PRODUCTION MANAGER: DEANNA FIKE our quest to make the most of it. And we learn what it takes. Those lessons shape us, to focus on our strengths, our underused CIRCULATION strengthen us and refine our character. potential and our hard-earned adaptability. The odd thing is that the mainstream We need to advocate for programs and laws CIRCULATION MANAGER: public often sees us as weak and pitiable, that emphasize what we have to contrib- BEVERLY SMITH living lives of lesser value. I have come to ute to society, not what we want society CIRCULATION COORDINATOR: believe that what they are really seeing to contribute to us. We need to represent MARIA KURTZ is a self-reflected image, a projection of ourselves not as angry or needy, but as a POSTMASTER: Send address changes to New Mobility, 120-34 their own inability to recognize their innate growing resource, a population worthy of Queens Blvd, #320, Kew Gardens NY 11415. Subscription rates: $27.95/year; $35.95/year in Canada; strengths. So they regard us in ways that private and public investment. $67.95/year international via airmail. reflect their fears and insecurities. Movies Now is the time to remind ourselves New Mobility (ISSN 1086-4741), Volume 27, Issue 279, is often portray us (using fictional characters and the powers that be that our civil rights, published monthly by United Spinal Association, 120-34 Queens Blvd, #320, Kew Gardens NY 11415. played by nondisabled actors) as pathetic signed into law by a Republican president Copyright 2016, all rights reserved. Reproduction without permission of any material contained herein is strictly beings who would be better off dead. Doc- and enacted overwhelmingly by a bipartisan prohibited. We welcome comments; tors and nurses see us as people who need Congress more than 26 years ago, reflect our we reserve the right to edit submissions. fixing. And government programs focus on national strength, not our weakness. Periodicals postage paid at Flushing, NY and additional mailing offices. our limitations rather than our potential. — TIM GILMER www.newmobility.com 4 NEW MOBILITY CONTRIBUTORS life beyond wheels DECEMBER 2016 CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Stephanie Arrache is a criminal defense attorney by day, blogger MICHAEL COLLINS at paraplewhat.com by night. When not in court, she is passing MIKE ERVIN along tips for living with paralysis and anecdotes to help others ROXANNE FURLONG better understand life on wheels. She was born with a tumor on RICHARD HOLICKY her spine that ultimately led to her paralysis in 2013. She is also a PRISCILLA MALTBIE motivational speaker, writer and photographer. In her free time ALLEN RUCKER you can find her at the gym. She lives in Palm Springs, California, ROBERT SAMUELS with her husband, infant son, and two dogs. Follow her on ERIC STAMPFLI YouTube and Instagram (@paraplewhat). ELLEN STOHL BOB VOGEL LOREN WORTHINGTON Emily Rose Yates is an accessibility consultant and a freelance writer, trainer and blogger based in the UK. Besides authoring Accessible Rio de Janeiro for Lonely Planet, she is currently work- ing on Disabled Access Day 2017, encouraging disabled people and their loved ones to get out there and try something new, COMMUNITY PARTNERS wherever that may be in the world. She regularly writes about KIM ANDERSON sex and disability and has led a TED Talk and been featured on CHRISTIAAN “OTTER” BAILEY BBC Three. Find out more at www.disabledaccessday.com or MARTY BALL follow her on Twitter at @EmilyRYates — or on her website at TIFFINY CARLSON www.emilyroseyates.co.uk LAWRENCE CARTER-LONG RORY COOPER JASON DASILVA Paralyzed from the waist down at 15, Sue Shepard went on to graduate from college and is currently very much involved with DEBORAH DAVIS United Spinal’s Rochester Spinal Association chapter as a board TOBIAS FORREST member/vice president and peer mentor. She also serves on JENNIFER FRENCH the board of Rochester Accessible Adventures. She is a guest ALLISON CAMERON GRAY speaker on spinal cord disease perspectives, rehabilitation MINNA HONG volunteer, disability advocate, and most importantly to her, a MARK JOHNSON loving wife and mother. Sue strives to be a true champion for GARY KARP family-inclusive activities that maximize the quality of indepen- NANCY BECKER KENNEDY dence for those living with spinal cord disease. BRITTANY MARTIN LINDA MASTANDREA LYNN MURRAY California native Will Sierra [a pseudonym] has been using wheels ASHLEY LYN OLSON for mobility since sustaining a C4-5 spinal cord injury. He has TEAL SHERER worked in information technology for 20-plus years.