My dads new legs

[MOMMA]

My dad is a pretty awesome person. We're in Summerland right now visiting my dad and step mom and I am in awe of his strength and cabability. He's in a wheel chair that he just boogies around the house in. The thing has 6 wheels on it and he can turn on a dime. He's a maniac. Even more awesome is his love of quadding. He had polio when he was young, which left his leg muscles very weak. Over the last 10 years he has been struggling with what doctors call post polio syndrome, where all of his muscles are gradually getting weaker. Doesn't stop him from quadding. He just loves quadding. A few years ago he went out by himelf and ended up in the Elbow river with his quad. Because he wasn't strong enough to walk out of the river he had to swim it until he found a place he could get out. I talked to him that night and he never mentioned anything to me. I commented to his wife that he was cranky and she proceeded to tell me the story. He didn't tell me as he knew I would chew him out BIG TIME. We laughed about it tonight.
He was the past president of the Summerland ATV club which he helped to pioneer.
Here is my amazing dad and his super duper wheel chair!


If you have any touching stories of heroic riders, please share.

 

[sldgy]

My dad is a pretty awesome person. We're in Summerland right now visiting my dad and step mom and I am in awe of his strength and cabability. He's in a wheel chair that he just boogies around the house in. The thing has 6 wheels on it and he can turn on a dime. He's a maniac. Even more awesome is his love of quadding. He had polio when he was young, which left his leg muscles very weak. Over the last 10 years he has been struggling with what doctors call post polio syndrome, where all of his muscles are gradually getting weaker. Doesn't stop him from quadding. He just loves quadding. A few years ago he went out by himelf and ended up in the Elbow river with his quad. Because he wasn't strong enough to walk out of the river he had to swim it until he found a place he could get out. I talked to him that night and he never mentioned anything to me. I commented to his wife that he was cranky and she proceeded to tell me the story. He didn't tell me as he knew I would chew him out BIG TIME. We laughed about it tonight.
He was the past president of the Summerland ATV club which he helped to pioneer.
Here is my amazing dad and his super duper wheel chair!


If you have any touching stories of heroic riders, please share.

Thanks for sharing, truly an inspiration to us all!!! God bless!!

 

[MOMMA]

Happiest dad ever

Here's my dad "staying on the trail".

 

[nursepwdr]

Good for him .....Nice to see you can't keep a good man down!!!
KEEP IT UP....!!!!.

 

[Puba]

I should have known, the apple doesnt fall far from the tree. I knew your family love of the outdoors came from somewhere.

 

[MOMMA]

Thank you so much for your kind words you guys and gals!
Here's a pic of my dad and daughter from this weekend. It takes so much out of him to hold his violin and bow, but inspite of the pain, he mustered up strength to jam with my daughter and I, enjoying every minute of it.

 

[catmando]

That is so awsome sleddingmom,About 8 months ago my dad had his first stroke on his quad out in the bush with just him and his girlfriend,it was a mini one but messed him up slightly and ended up having another one the next day and was rushed to the hospital in edmonton where my family all ended up.We were in the waiting room at the university hospital waiting with him when he had a way more serios one,we thought we lost him but after a week in the hospital they sent him home and ten days later we were out quadding again like nothing happened,even the doctors were amazed.About three months ago he had a another mini one that was dealt with and he carried on as if nothing happened,Well to top off my story 2 days before the Robb Rally that has just passed my Dad had another one and that was the main reason I didnt go in the Rally this year,He was told to stay off his quad and take it easy.........Anyone who knows my dad would know that that aint gonna work,No Rally and no long trips but here is a pic of him the same day of the rally!
Tough as nails and telling him to stay off his quad......you may as well shoot him!He is 75 years old!
catmando!

 

[94fordguy]

Awesome:d

 

[mb1]

Awesome:d

No doubt!!

 

[sled]

Awesome:d

It just go to show how strong the older generation is with these two awesome stories. Sorry to say but i think that some of us younger generations should look at our elders and maybe even listen to what they are say and doing. Hope that went I get into my 70's that i will be still quading and sledding with my children and grand kids.

Al aka sled

 

[SavageCanuck]

That is so awsome to hear that he is able to get out on the Quad.I am hopefull for a similar experiance way down the road with my own brother as last October 26th he became an incomplete quad due to a dirtbike accident.Right know he is home but fighting a few bed sores and is a long way off from being able to get strapped into my rhino.It gives me great pleasure and hope when I see your pictures that there can be more to life than being stuck in the chair for life

 

[MOMMA]

That is so awsome to hear that he is able to get out on the Quad.I am hopefull for a similar experiance way down the road with my own brother as last October 26th he became an incomplete quad due to a dirtbike accident.Right know he is home but fighting a few bed sores and is a long way off from being able to get strapped into my rhino.It gives me great pleasure and hope when I see your pictures that there can be more to life than being stuck in the chair for life

We'll say a prayer for your brother. My dad said something pretty funny when we were visiting. I didn't realize until I was about 12 that my dad was actually handicapped. We had always gone fishing and bird hunting together, I helped him across the creeks and was his "legs" when he needed help. He spent hours hitting flyballs and grounders on the ballfield. I knew all my friends thought I was blessed to have such an active dad. Thank you so much for sharing.

 

[OVERKILL 19]

Can I have his autograph.....that's Dennis Hopper Right!

 

[OLIVE DRAB DEAN]

Well here is a story about my uncle, his name Kenny McLean. He was a world champion saddle bronc rider, along with numerous all round cowboy titles, and more. Well in 2001 he was 63 years old and still in the rodeo circuite, "seniors rodeo" which he had won a championship in also! It was at the Tabor rodeo and he had just finished team roping and had a massive heart attack, right on his horse. Died on the spot, was enbalmbed in Tabor, the cowboys made a plywood casket and loaded him in his horse trailer with his horse. His wife trucked him down to the Okanagan for the funeral. True cowboy.
I guess what I am trying to say to all people, keep going and do what you love doing! Life is way too short.

 

[Captjacksparrow]

This story is from a few years back but a freind of mine was out sledding with a bunch of guys and his Dad. They were on Blue Lake at Sicamous and the Dad told a the rest of the crew that he didn't feel well, and to keep playing, as he was going to lay down on his sled to relax and have a nap. When they done and were going to move on a while later, they went to get him and he had passed away right there on his sled, listening to the boys high marking. It was sad at the time but that is exactly how he would have wanted to go, RIP Fred.

 

[FyreRyder]

Was camping at Saunders this past weekend. Saw a true die hard quader out there. He was probably in his 70's and had his oxygen bottle strapped to the back rack. There was no way he was letting his health slow him down.
I hope to be that die hard when I get older...

 

[SavageCanuck]

We'll say a prayer for your brother. My dad said something pretty funny when we were visiting. I didn't realize until I was about 12 that my dad was actually handicapped. We had always gone fishing and bird hunting together, I helped him across the creeks and was his "legs" when he needed help. He spent hours hitting flyballs and grounders on the ballfield. I knew all my friends thought I was blessed to have such an active dad. Thank you so much for sharing.

You don't really appreciate how easy it is to do most things in life until you have a family member that has become disabled.I was down visiting my brother in Victoria this past weekend since he has been moved home from GF Strong in Vancouver.He has been home for just under 2 months and is not doing as well since there is little to no rehab facilities in Victoria[he should have stayed longer]It was a beautifull day for a visit but he has some recent bed sores and I could not get him to want to get out of his bed and get in his chair and come outside.He has a lift over his bed and 2 chairs 1 power 1 wheel and an outside lift to get onto level ground.My parents and I bought the wheel chair,next up I want to start a fund to get them a van with a ramp as they have to use the Handi dart[not very handy].Yes hopefully down the road I can get him out on one of the toys

 

[frock]

Thanks for starting this sleddingmom, a great post. I have a family just like yours, loving everything about the outdoors. My father isn't quite as old as yours (10 years younger), but he always made sure we were spending all our spare time camping, fishing or hunting. My Grandfather (he's gone now, rest his soul) was just like my Father, I was very fortunate. I think that this type of person who shares all his experience unselfishly no matter what, makes us much better able to be good parents to our own children. These kinds of parents are the greatest gift any kid could ask for.

Cheers;
Shane