Dear Geoff, I want to share my Newberry National Monument AdvenChair experience with you
Claire Olson AdvenChairing with her family at Newberry National Volcanic Monument
I’ve been back in St. Paul long enough to do some show and tell with several friends. Their initial reactions to seeing me in the AdvenChair? “Wow! And “where did you find that?!” And “it looks like it was made for you!”
Hi Geoff,
I want to share a few photos and a little about my AdvenChair experience last weekend. My family stayed in Sunriver, visited the Newberry National Volcanic Monument Saturday, and browsed in Bend on Sunday. I’ve been back in St. Paul long enough to do some show and tell with several friends. Their initial reactions to seeing me in the AdvenChair? “Wow! And “where did you find that?!” And “it looks like it was made for you!”
Which is how it felt. I don’t have my own chair yet, but I have one on indefinite loan from a friend and I use others here and there. This is my 12th year (diagnosed) with Parkinson’s and med coverage is unpredictable at best. Off-periods begin with little notice and can last for hours. A chair is necessary. My experience has been a lot of side-to-side movement in the seat, unnatural footrest spacing, and a down-and-back sensation of my position relative to the chair.
And the AdvenChair? The seat felt safely snug and I loved the up-and-forward seat position. Even with the front wheel attached I had the sensation that the chair was behind me. My legs were comfortably together on the footrest. One of the photos shows us looking over a gorge. I was able to get a great view. I mentioned the armrests and handles with the photos. Adding to that, I got a bit of a workout I could feel on Sunday.
All 22 of us, ages 6 to 67, went to the caldera on Saturday – just one reason I was happy to be able to participate. Others include too much being inside and too little movement the past seven months. We hiked about 1.25 miles around the lake to hot springs (and back). Path conditions varied. There was relatively smooth ground, rocky ground, and roots, trees, mud, and rocks to navigate. We kept one to three people in front of me and two or more behind. We added the straps along the way. And the helmet. Lifting went well when necessary.
We had two tippy lifts where I felt the chest and waist straps doing their thing. I did my thing using my arms, core, and those handles. Control was quickly regained.
We came upon two no-chair spots, one was too marshy and muddy (at least with our experience) and the other was where the path was narrower than the chair. I got a piggyback and AdvenChair got a carry, after removing the front wheel (carried separately).
I attended the last three family reunions but stayed back at the house for the all-ages hike. Which wasn’t a big deal because I was someplace interesting that wasn’t my house. But this year, being with everyone was a big deal!
Thanks to the AdvenChair for giving me access to the event and the opportunity to feel that participation feeling. And to my family, for being a great AdvenChair team for me.
Sunday’s “adventure” was strolling around Bend, enjoying coffee, book, and other shops, having brunch, which I’ve been referring to as “badass brunch” because that’s how I felt rolling up in AdvenChair, and doing some wine-tasting. While I could have done it in a wheelchair, AdvenChair’s fit and feel added to the fun I had just being out and about with my family.
I’ve kept my mind believing I can still get out there and do something. The physical experience with AdvenChair put that belief into my body. I am thinking differently about the adventures I can have, big and small.
Thanks, Geoff!
Claire Olson