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10 Outdoor wheelchair sports and activities you can do next weekend - pushingthelimits.com

It can be frustrating being in a wheelchair, obviously there’s the whole problem of changing light-bulbs, but we were never good at chores anyway. One of the biggest hurdles is actually finding activities and sports that are accessible.

It can be daunting trying to get involved with something new, not knowing where to go or if it’s even be possible from a wheelchair, sometimes we get pre-occupied with the planning; making phone calls, trying to get in touch with someone from an able-bodied organisation that can tell us if they’re geared up or have experience with people in wheelchair, or scouring the internet for information (glad you found us). More often than not they dont and so another week goes by with getting started.

Stop all that now. Just go out and do it.

Seriously, there is nothing stopping you from just going to the same local places that able bodied people go, you dont need to find a special “disabled activity center”.

Local indoor rock walls, kayaking schools even sky-diving schools are all experts in their sports, they might have absolutely no experience with anyone in a wheelchair, but they dont need to, they have you. As soon as you turn up you immediately become ‘their’ disabled activity advisor. Together you’ll be able to work things out just fine.

Call ahead if you want to, but most times you’ll talk to someone who thinks ‘wheelchair’ translates to ‘the last days of Christopher Reeve’ and who’ll just put obstacles in the way (they might not sound like obstacles; “I know one of our instructors has experience with this, he’s not around right now but if you call back next week…” is a classic), just turn up and work things out, you have nothing to loose and people will go out of their way to help.

One of the biggest hurdles to getting involved with any sport when you’re in a wheelchair is the equipment, everything from basketball to cycling needs some kind of specialist equipment that always seems overly exspensive to buy, and near impossible to rent. The best sports and activities for a weekend here and there are things that dont need you to shell out 1000’s on equipment only to decide you dont really like it that much after all.

So, if you’re looking for something to do next weekend, check out our list and then just find a local center, turn up and have some fun.

1. Kayaking.

If you live anywhere near open water, or a slow moving river then there’ll be a kayak club or school near you too. Kayaking is a great way to spend the day. No need for special equipment and a very gentle learning curve means that you can be on the water almost straight away. Kayaks are ridiculously cheap to rent and impossible to sink. Take along a bit of padding for the seat and you’re good to go.

2. Rock Climbing.

The explosion of indoor climbing walls in the last decade means that there’s almost definitely one near you wherever you are. Most universities will have a climbing wall available to non-students too. In a perfect world you’d have a pair of specialist rock chaps for disabled climbers. But for a couple hours of playing around on the wall the normal harnesses provided by the local club are fine. Be carefull to not spend more than 15 minutes suspended in the harness at a time (without being able to feel the straps it’s possible to cut off circulation in your legs), but if it shouldnt take you more than 15 minutes to make it to the top of most indoor walls.

3. Geocaching.

Got a GPS, or even just a fairly up-to-date SatNav? Then spend a day geocaching, make it as wild and gnarly or as flat and relaxed as you want. If you didnt know, geocaching is like a high tech treasure hunt using GPS to guide you to a hidden stash. Check out our beginners guide to wheelchair geocaching. A quick search for your area will probably find at least 10 caches within a mile of you right now. Once you know they’re there it will drive you mad until you find them all!

4. SCUBA Diving.

SCUBA diving is a great sport for wheelchair users, the underwater freedom is simply amazing. Dont take out word for it, get in touch with your local club and arrange a taster session. Most clubs and schools provide free pool sessions so you can decide if you’re comfortable being underwater. As a wheelchair user you dont need any extra equipment, and your instructors dont need specialist disabled diver qualifications (some schools and clubs seem to think they do, it’s a myth! If you can swim without assistance then you can dive without assictance too). Get a pair of webbed gloves to make things a bit easier and you’re good to go.

5. Camping.

Throw a tent in the back of the car and head out for the weekend. If you’re more adventurous then get in touch with the closest National Park and find out about accessible trails in the area so you can do some good old wheelchair hiking. Spending a couple nights in a tent is a huge pick-me-up after a week of city frustrations. No need for any specialist equipment at all, get a decent sleeping mat and do it. Crap in a bag, it’s liberting!

6. Paragliding.

A hugely misunderstood sport, paragliding isn’t BASE jumping, or skydiving or particularly extreme at all. A paraglider is often mistaken for a parachute, but is actually a fabric wing that is able to create lift so you dont drop like a stone as with parachuting. You dont jump off, or out of anything, but rather run (I know, you can’t run, keep reading) along the ground and gently take off. There are paragliding clubs all over the place, a quick search will find one close to you. Most clubs and schools will have tandem instructors that will take you for a free flight to see if you like the sport. Tandem means being strapped to someone who does the running, steering and landing for you, allowing you to enjoy the view. We can’t explain how amazing paragliding is, take our word for it and go do this. Seriously, go do this.

7. Hiking.

You dont have to scale Mount Washington, or even really go hiking. A few hours just exploring the local park can be enough to rejuvenate yourself and rediscover the outdoors. Many National and Local parks have wheelchair accessible trails that you can conquer in an everyday wheelchair, you dont need any crazy exspensice off-road wheelchairs to get outside, just go.

8. Sky Diving.

Sky-Diving and parachuting schools are actually perfectly set-up for taking wheelchair users. The instructors are well used to taking tandem passengers and you can be ready to go almost as soon as you arrive. A safety brief and dry demonstration will take place before you jump and as with paragliding, your tandem instructor will do all the boring stuff like controlling the parachute and landing, allowing you to enjoy the view again. Something everyone should at least try at least once.

9. Bungee Jumping.

Bungee jumping is a bit of a cliche, something for couch surfers to do and feel “extreme”, it’s become wildly popular in the last decade and incredibly safe too. Almost every fair, concert and holiday destination now-a-days will have a bungee operator which means that it’s never been easier to hurl yourself off a crane without fear of injury. Able-bodied jumpers will have the cord connected to their ankles, but wheelchair users can have a body harness fitted, meaning that you’ll be in the sitting position and put no strain on you legs at all. Cheap, quick and fun.

10. Sailing.

Another very accessible water sport if you live anywhere near water, sailing is great fun and doesn’t have to require the use of legs at all. Small one and two man dinghys are easily controlled from a sitting position and you can be out on the water straight away. Most sailing schools will have small dinghys for hire and you will need nothing more than the normal (very short, like half an hour) training before you can be out on the water by yourself. Again, take along a bit of padding for you butt and you’re good to go.