It's not every day you see an actor with a spinal cord injury on the big screen, but thanks to actors like Danny J, Gomez, a paraplegic from Los Angeles by way of New Orleans, it's becoming more common and that's a great thing for the disability community. In this episode, we chat with Danny not only about his acting career, which began in 2018, just two years after his spinal cord injury, but his journey, including his injury story and how he was able to secure an acting scholarship from the Ch...
Aug 18, 2025•30 min•Season 1Ep. 60
In this episode, we learn about the world of wheelchair bodybuilding from Genesis Del Bosque, a C5-6 quadriplegic from California. A passionate bodybuilder before his injury, Genesis went right back to doing what he loves within months of his injury. He shares his injury story, how he trains, what he eats and how quadriplegic bodybuilding - for quadriplegics who still have partial arm movement - is becoming bigger than ever. Episode runtime is 30 minutes. — Contact Genesis via Facebook: https://...
Jul 21, 2025•31 min•Season 1Ep. 59
After falling in love with traveling as a child after being taken from hospital to hospital to determine her disability, Renee Bruns, 41, from Atlanta, Georgia, knew it was her destiny to travel the world. Not only has she visited all 7 continents, she also holds the Guinness World Record for the most countries visited in one year by a wheelchair-user (66 countries). Renee shares her story, travel tips for those with mobility challenges, as well as the lessons she's learned from humanity while t...
May 15, 2025•32 min
Life with a C4-5 spinal cord injury may be challenging, but Ricky Chang, paralyzed since 2008, has been undeterred. After fighting hard for many things after his accident, including getting his driver's license using a modified steering wheel, he shares how he's been able to stay strong over the years thanks to his dry humor and solid friend base. Also interning for NASA in their Communications Department last year while attending VCU, as well as a new grad with a Communications degree, Chang, 3...
Jan 17, 2025•35 min•Season 1Ep. 57
Taylor Nichols, a former professional motocross athlete from Texas injured 7 years ago, went on to discover pickleball post-injury. A sport offering both physical and social benefits, he quickly fell in love and was hired by Chicken N Pickle, a national pickleball chain in Texas, Arizona, Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma that offers free use of two sport wheelchairs at every location, as their National Adaptive Pickleball Coordinator. Chicken N Pickle also offers "Pickleball for All" once a month....
Nov 18, 2024•35 min•Season 1Ep. 56
While the web is full of accessible travel sites today, that wasn't the case in 2006 when Ashley Lyn Olson started her now infamous wheelchair travel site, Wheelchairtraveling.com. Her site is chock full of indispensable accessible travel info from her worldwide travels and her contributors. After becoming paralyzed at 14, travel was Ashley's vessel to freedom and she shares that journey with us, and much more, in this episode. - Follow Ashley on IG: https://www.instagram.com/alo.journey - Visit...
Jul 22, 2024•34 min•Season 1Ep. 55
Meet Jeffrey Lorenzo Williams, a New York City real estate broker from Harlem who's been injured since he was a teenager in the early 1980s from an accidental shooting. His injury however was simply a catalyst for an amazing life that he shared with us in this uplifting episode. After getting a degree in Criminal Justice, he went on to become a real estate broker, a shoe designer as well as a Business Analyst for Palmolive. Also a father, author and motivational speaker, he is often stopped aski...
Apr 02, 2024•32 min•Season 1Ep. 54
Paralyzed for nearly 20 years, Paul LaCorte, a 38 year old paraplegic originally from California now living in Montana, shares his journey since his injury at 18 years old. From pivoting employment goals from auto mechanics to mass communications to teaching himself how to play the guitar post-injury as a form of therapy, Paul is living his life on his own terms. He also shares what it's been like being a father to his daughter Wyld, born in 2017, and how it's changed him for the better. - Offic...
Jan 10, 2024•38 min•Season 1Ep. 53
In episode #52, we spoke with the newly paralyzed ShelbyLynn Quintana, injured from transverse myelitis last year. She shares her experience of being undiagnosed for months until a cause of paralysis was found thanks to sharing her story on Tiktok. Also a published poet, ShelbyLynn sheds light on a cause of paralysis that not enough people are aware of in both the lay and medical fields. She also shares her thoughts on wheelchair fashion and reads one of her poems. - ShelbyLyn on IG: https://www...
Oct 24, 2023•28 min
In episode 51, we spoke with Chris Hrabik, based in a small town in Missouri, who was paralyzed nearly 20 years ago in a car accident at the age of 18. An incomplete quadriplegic, he went on to become a talented metal artist and fabricator as well as a rally racer after his injury. And he has a new project - starting his very own adaptive driving school where anyone no matter their ability (even people who are blind, as they will have a closed 4 mile track) are welcome. — Follow Chris on IG: htt...
Aug 23, 2023•36 min•Season 1Ep. 51
In this episode, we're joined by Shelly Kerschner, a longtime paraplegic who penned the book, "Standing Tall & the Healing Power of Gratitude," after her injury. She shares the importance of gratitude in her life, as well as her other passions, adaptive kayaking and adaptive yoga, and shares her plan to become an adaptive yoga teacher. — Follow Shelly on IG here — Buy her book on Amazon here...
Jun 30, 2023•38 min•Season 1Ep. 50
In episode 49, we speak with founder of SPINALpedia and creator of Slingshot Golf, Josh Basile, a C4-5 quadriplegic who grew up loving the game of golf. Since standard adaptive golf wasn't a possibility for Josh due to arm mobility limitations, he created Slingshot Golf as a way for anyone to be able to golf no matter their mobility level. In May 2023, Josh was finally able to compete in an adaptive open using Slingshot Golf along with his caddie & golfing partner, Andrew Mitchell. In this e...
Jun 08, 2023•25 min•Season 1Ep. 49
A former high school theater kid and aerobics instructor paralyzed in 1990, Katie Rodriguez Banister has been living life as a C5-6 quadriplegic for over 33 years. Post-injury, she found a passion for speaking and writing about SCI issues like managing/finding caregivers, and during Covid she decided to turn her autobiography into a play with the help of a friend. The end result "ROLL WITH IT! (film) disability, humor, hope and F-bombs" went on to be a hit in the St. Louis theater scene and was ...
Apr 04, 2023•30 min•Season 1Ep. 48
In episode 47, we share a conversation with Gabe Trujillo, a longtime digital producer at 12 News, NBC-affiliate in Phoenix. Gabe became paralyzed at the age of 14 by a rare form of polio, induced by an extreme asthma attack. After finally getting a diagnosis years after his injury, Gabe settled into his new life as a quadriplegic (with arm movement; no hand or leg mobility), and he decided to put all his energy into his studies. Gabe chose journalism as his career path, and the rest as they say...
Mar 06, 2023•32 min•Season 1Ep. 47
In episode 46, we chatted with musical phenom Amy Wang-Hiller, the only professional violinist in the US who uses a wheelchair full-time. She is new to using a wheelchair due to Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, a condition that affects the collagen in the body and can cause spinal cord injuries. Originally from Shanghai, China, Wang-Hiller moved to the US to pursue her musical studies and now holds a Doctorate in Musical Arts, is a violin teacher and she's a regular orchestra violinist. And after meeting...
Jan 06, 2023•32 min•Season 1Ep. 46
A quadriplegic, husband, father and community health worker, Casey Moore from Medford, Oregon shares his story. Paralyzed in 2000 in a diving accident, he was unsure of what life held for him, but he did his best to focus on the positive and pushed ahead, going on to marry the love of his life, having a son without the need of IVF and then finding a purposeful career - helping others with spinal cord injuries by becoming a community health worker. He also shares the awesome activities available ...
Nov 22, 2022•33 min•Season 1Ep. 45
In our second disability employment success story for National Disability Employment Awareness Month 2022, meet Candis Welch. A lifelong resident of Los Angeles, California with Spinal Muscular Atrophy, she began her career as an Executive Assistant with Issa Rae Productions after graduating with a degree in Journalism. She then pivoted to the public sector, eventually becoming a Procurement Analyst for the Los Angeles Homeless Service Authority (LAHSA) and now works in her current position as L...
Oct 14, 2022•28 min
October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month and this year we will be highlighting a variety of disability employment success stories. Brandon Winfield, founder of the accessibility review app iAccessLife, is first up in our series. Paralyzed at the age of 14 in a motocross accident, he went on to become a self taught QA analyst and an app creator. His app, iAccessLife, lets people review the accessibility of any establishment they visit and is used in 35 countries. — Follow Brandon...
Oct 07, 2022•23 min•Season 1Ep. 1
Is Zumba a good workout for wheelchair-users? In this episode, we speak with wheelchair Zumba instructor Tennille Houston from Idaho who fills us in on why Zumba is a great workout for those who can't walk. Also married with two teenagers, she became a wheelchair-user over 14 years ago due to pregnancy complications and went on to become a Zumba certified instructor after her injury. Tennille shares her wheelchair Zumba classes on various platforms. She teaches online classes 3 times a week via ...
Sep 13, 2022•33 min•Season 1Ep. 44
Tim Taylor, a C5 quadriplegic from Pennsylvania, has experienced a lot since his injury nearly 20 years ago, and he has a lot to share in this episode. We talk with him about his car accident that resulted in the death of two individuals, how he made it through the depression that followed afterwards and how he ultimately found his calling since he was no longer able to pursue his previous career. From making money on his YouTube channel to flipping vintage items he finds at thrift restores and ...
Jul 20, 2022•32 min•Season 1Ep. 43
We're excited to have Jason Thurston, a C5-6 quadriplegic, back on the show. A wheelchair camping expert who camped alone 4 times last year, he's now the Outreach Coordinator for International Paper John Dillon Park, a free and fully inclusive campground located in New York state in the Adirondack mountains. Injured in 2004 in a diving accident, this former chef had to pivot his professional life and ended up rediscovering his love of the outdoors, something that was important to him as a young ...
Jun 03, 2022•44 min•Season 1Ep. 42
If you're looking for a dose of motivation, this is the podcast episode for you. Injured 5 years ago in a motorcycle accident, Bianca Faith Johnson went on to receive her law degree and is now an assistant college professor as well as an assistant preacher at her church, St. Albans. To top it off, she's also the newly crowned Ms. Wheelchair New York 2022. Only paralyzed 5 years, how has Bianca been able to find the strength to be so badass? She shares her thoughts on this topic and much more in ...
May 02, 2022•26 min•Season 1Ep. 41
If you get paid more to pour a cup of coffee at McDonald's than be a caregiver, the system is surely unjust. Kevin Orr, a complete C4-5 quadriplegic from Mississippi and former police officer injured in 2009, has experienced a severe absence of caregivers since the pandemic began (with his mother becoming his full-time caregiver as a result). Tiffiny and Kevin discuss possible solutions to his dilemma, and the greater issue at hand. They also discuss his passion of mouth painting, and how painti...
Feb 24, 2022•47 min•Season 1Ep. 40
In the first episode of 2022, we chat with Natalie Cinman, a passionate home cook and wheelchair-user from Montreal, Quebec. She may not be paralyzed, but she has dozens of amazing tips to share on cooking in a wheelchair. Born with osteogenesis imperfecta, she lives in her forever home with her dream accessible kitchen, along with her husband and fur babies. Natalie started her growing cooking channel during Covid, and on our show she shares her best tips for cooking in an inaccessible kitchen,...
Jan 05, 2022•33 min•Season 1Ep. 39
Peter Yeo, a C4 incomplete quadriplegic from British Columbia, Canada, shares the two surgeries that helped him regain movement after his spinal cord injury, including a groundbreaking therapy to treat spasms after maxxing the daily maximum of Baclofen. He was also the first to receive this treatment. And although he still has limited upper-body mobility, the surgeries were able to restore some function he did not have before. Peter also shares the therapy he is doing at Neuromotion Rehabilitati...
Nov 01, 2021•25 min•Season 1Ep. 38
Not being able to move just one of her legs is how Melissa Childers, an avid marathon runner and mountain climber, woke up one January morning in 2021. By the day was up, she would be no longer able to move her legs. Diagnosed with a spinal stroke (which can happen to anyone at any time), Melissa has had to figure out life after paralysis this year. She joins Tiffiny to discuss rehab during a pandemic, neuropathic pain and how she's coping, and she also discusses her first trip post-injury to Co...
Sep 21, 2021•22 min•Season 1Ep. 37
Beth Beckley is not your average married lady living life in the Atlanta, Georgia suburbs with her spoiled fur babies (although her dogs are insanely cute). Injured 13 years ago when she was 21, Beth, now a T4 paraplegic, has an appreciative perspective on life. She shares her injury story, how recently lost 40 pounds and how she's forging ahead with a new healthy lifestyle. Beth also shares how she lost the weight with help from the Shepherd Center, one of the best SCI rehab centers in the US. ...
Aug 12, 2021•26 min•Season 1Ep. 36
In Episode 35, we are joined by Ulysses Martin, a 45 year old C3-5 quadriplegic, father and quadriplegic from Florida. A former amateur MMA fighter, minor league football player and actor, Martin was injured in 2018 when he was hit by a SUV while on his motorcycle. He is now striving to walk again and is determined to return to physical therapy to pursue activity-based therapy at Stay In Step in Tampa.. Activity-based therapy is a form of physical therapy where people continue to go for months, ...
Jul 09, 2021•31 min•Season 1Ep. 35
In Episode 34, Ernie Johnson, paralyzed as a C4-5 incomplete quadriplegic while playing high school football over 24 years ago, shares his life in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, including his passion for adaptive surfing. Surfing on his belly, he has won a number of adaptive surfing events. From being a wheelchair bodybuilder to a high school basketball coach, Ernie hasn't held back. He's become an advocate for the South Carolina spinal cord injury community as well. Listen to our 27 minute conve...
May 20, 2021•27 min•Season 1Ep. 34
In Episode 33, Ron Trozzi, a C5-6 quadriplegic injured over 43 years ago at 20 years old as an officer in the Coast Guard, shares his spinal cord injury story. A Long Island native, he decided to hightail it to Tucson, Arizona 2 years after his injury so he would no longer be known as the 'wheelchair guy' in the neighborhood where he grew up. He also talks about his love of accessible gardening on his 1 acre hobby farm, including growing organic tomatoes, purple Basil, and much more. Forty years...
Apr 22, 2021•32 min•Season 1Ep. 33
