I enjoy a good, craft beer and to offset the calories, I stay active. Truly, that’s why I thought I participated in physical activity. Then came 2020.
· I had an emergency c-section (big recovery)
· Three weeks later we entered a pandemic which mandated a lockdown
· Wild fires were creating unhealthy air quality making outside dangerous
· The reasons I couldn’t be active just kept stacking up
It was easy to make excuses with these barriers to my normal activity. I stopped running. I stopped doing yoga. I stopped strength training. I even stopped walking around my neighborhood. And then one day I realized that I was in a dark place. My mental health had suffered due to my lack of physical activity.
I never realized that my active lifestyle, which was just to offset delicious beer, was actually keeping my mental state healthy, too. Luckily, I was able to connect the two and pull myself out of a deep well to start getting active again. It took time and it was hard, but it was so rewarding.
Imagine not only having to overcome the obstacles I mentioned and others you likely have experience yourself, but having additional obstacles related to a physical disability. When I was finally ready to get active again, I just had to walk out my front door or find a gym I felt comfortable at. What if you need special equipment to be active that isn’t readily available? What if you assume you can’t do an activity because you have a spinal cord injury or paralysis?
Individuals with physical disabilities have greater barriers to recreation than I did. That’s why I’m so passionate about Adaptive Adventures.
Adaptive Adventures recognizes the physical, social, emotional and mental health benefits associated with recreating in the outdoors with others. Individuals in our programs report experiencing greater independence, camaraderie, freedom and joy while reducing anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, social isolation, pain, prescription drug dependence, and negative coping behaviors. We also know that when an individual thrives the whole family thrives. That is why we focus on serving not only the individual but their family, caregivers, therapy teams and friends. Our programs provide transferable life skills that improve daily life for the whole family.
Your support in this challenge ride is incredibly meaningful to me. Together, we can ensure that Adaptive Adventures continues to transform lives, build community, and advocate for inclusion in outdoor recreation. Thank you for being a part of this incredible journey.
