For those who ever find yourself deep, deep within the wilderness, you could discover Trevor driving solo in his GRIT Freedom Chair and towing a kayak chock-full of drugs. Or, as an alternative, you could hear his laughter as he guides a flurry of grandchildren and different household via the woods away from their basecamp. No matter the place he’s and who has joined him on the day’s trip, one factor is for certain: Trevor might be driving fearlessly and confidently.

The (great, mucky, muddy, lake-sized-puddle of) icing on prime? He paperwork a lot of his outings in video and picture, so we are able to all observe alongside!

GRIT lately had the prospect to sit down down with Trevor to study extra about what led him to GRIT, to know extra about how he makes use of his Freedom Chair, and—most significantly—to place a highlight on this hardworking, fun-loving, joy-spreading powerhouse we’re fortunate to know. Learn on to study extra.

Inform us a bit about your self!

I’m a 53-year-old husband, father, and grandfather, with 13 kids and 20 grandchildren. In 2006 I suffered a number of catastrophic and life-changing accidents once I fell 93 toes down a vertical mineshaft. My accidents, which included an amputation, twin spinal twine accidents, and a mind harm, in the end left me partially paralyzed and completely wheelchair-bound.

Why did you initially pursue an all-terrain wheelchair? What options and functionalities had been most vital when making that call?

In 2022, 16 years after my accident, I discovered myself coping with horrible melancholy, critically obese, in horrible well being, and in want of some main life adjustments. Though it had been a few years since I had gone tenting or tried any actual out of doors actions, I made a decision to strive my hand at some fishing. That led to me desirous to go tenting, which led me to strive kayaking in a wheelchair for the primary time. All through that first yr, I rediscovered a pure pleasure for out of doors adventuring however I rapidly found that my wheelchairs on the time merely couldn’t sustain with my rising ardour for getting out into nature. This led me to my preliminary seek for an all-terrain, off-road wheelchair that would get me to the assorted locations I needed to go. 

Are you able to inform us about your first trip within the GRIT Freedom Chair? Has your expertise improved since your first trip?

Once I first received my Freedom Chair I immediately knew I had made the suitable choice in my buy. I couldn’t imagine the place I may get to on my household’s giant property within the mountains. By the tip of the primary week, I had already ventured off of my property and onto the various forest trails that encompass my dwelling. Though I initially discovered nice problem in controlling my GRIT chair because of the tough and tough mountain trails I used to be touring on, one telephone name later I had a refurbished steering peg headed my means, compliments of my unimaginable GRIT rep, Scott. He truly overnight-shipped it to me so it could arrive in time for a 3-day solo tenting journey I used to be scheduled to depart for on the finish of the week (which occurred to be my 14th day with my chair)! So, in 14 days, I went from slowly scooting round my property to embarking on a 12-mile solo tour into the wilderness! Oh, and that steering peg? It made all of the distinction on the planet and I now inform others that of all of the optionally available equipment, steering peg(s) are on the very prime of the “should have” checklist!

“I simply love taking my grandkids with me on my Handicapable Adventures and I by no means miss a possibility to attach with them, LIVE, REAL, and IN-PERSON.

Whether or not it’s whereas tenting, kayaking, fishing, or simply adventuring within the stunning forest surrounding our mountain property, I really like to incorporate them in all of it!”

—Trevor

How do you employ your GRIT Freedom Chair? Any distinctive attachments or suggestions/tips you employ?

WOW…the place do I begin??? There may be just about nothing I do with out my chair and I’ve tailored it for each out of doors exercise I take part in! From tenting, wheelchair mountaineering, kayaking, looking, off-roading, fishing, and even tending to the animals on our ranch, my GRIT Freedom Chair is with me in every single place I am going.

At first, I discovered a technique to connect two water bottles, a headlight, tail lights, a cyclometer, a shovel and ax, a winch and different off-road restoration gear, a trauma/IFAK pack, a device and spare elements gear bag, an 80-liter waterproof journey bag, and most apparently an outdated .50 caliber ammo can that I insulated and changed into an ice chest. (The pics are simply SICK!). I then named my beloved GRIT chair the “Path Beast” and headed out on that first solo tenting journey!

After that, I discovered a technique to break down and safely stow my GRIT chair onto the again of my kayak for multi-day tenting and fishing journeys on our native lakes and rivers. After all, that led to me needing to determine a technique to tow my kayaks and/or a utility/tenting trailer with my FC! I additionally fabricated a customized mount so I can transport my FC on the again of my ATV and get even additional into the wilderness for my loopy adventures.

Are there any organizations or teams which are vital to you?

As a veteran, I’ve sat as director on a number of boards for veteran-related charitable organizations, so I’m very into supporting veteran teams. In actual fact, I used to be contacted simply yesterday by a veteran’s group, who requested me to take part in an upcoming 26.2-mile “ruck march” to lift cash and consciousness for veteran assist teams. A

After answering a ton of their questions on my FC, I additionally helped the group resolve to buy a FC for one in all their staff members to assist him take part within the march.

Inform us about your most up-to-date out of doors journey. What had been the highs/lows?

My most up-to-date journey was a loopy one for positive! I gathered up a gaggle of my grandchildren and we ditched the dad and mom, threw out the rule books, and headed into the wild for a 36-hour tenting, kayaking, and fishing journey!

Throughout the journey I towed one in all my kayaks, which additionally served as a trailer for the entire gear wanted for the six of us. My GRIT chair, AKA the “Path Beast,” couldn’t have carried out higher throughout the almost 5-mile tour via the woods to one in all our native creeks. I simply completed enhancing the video for that journey and uploaded it to my “Handicapable Adventures” YouTube channel at the moment! I received some implausible footage of me towing my 75-pound kayak with my FC and utilizing it as a trailer to hold every thing from our gear, to the boulders wanted to construct a secure fireplace pit, in addition to the entire wooden wanted to cook dinner our meals and keep heat in a single day.

What makes your GRIT chair the suitable tools to your out of doors adventures, like your solo tenting journey?

Once I was purchasing for a wheelchair that would really deal with all of my private wants, one of many large deciding elements was simply how small the FC can break down. One among my major necessities was that my wheelchair had to have the ability to go together with me on my kayaking adventures, so there was just one actual alternative. And sure, my FC goes with me on ALL of my multi-day kayak tenting excursions!

“Our plans embody a three-mile wheelchair hike via the woods, organising our personal tents and getting ready our personal sleeping areas, and scavenging all of the wooden we are going to want for dinner, s’mores, and breakfast, in addition to for in a single day heat. We’ll even be having fun with some creek fishing, training organising some small in a single day looking snares, doing a little bit of bowed and BB-rifle-based goal capturing, and anything I can persuade a rowdy group of grandkids to do!”

—Trevor, discussing one in all his latest adventures

What has been your favourite reminiscence in your GRIT Freedom Chair thus far?

Whereas I really like taking my grandkids out on wilderness adventures and I do get pleasure from group journeys with household and pals, what I really love probably the most is the liberty to have the ability to exit on my own, with no assist, no assist, and no limitations, and nonetheless be able to doing all of the issues that I as soon as believed had been not achievable!!!