Personal Highlight: Aaron “Wheelz” Fotheringham

August 05, 2011 | By Karen Poch
Photo Credit: aaronfotheringham.com

You’ve heard of wheelchair basketball and wheelchair hockey, but Aaron ‘Wheelz’ Fotheringham is taking wheelchair sports where they have never gone before.  As an eight-year old tagging along with his older brother to BMX parks, Aaron’s curiosity and determination turned him into one of today’s most inspirational extreme athletes.  At 18, Aaron became the first person to land a double backflip in a wheelchair and only a few months later was commissioned to perform with the Nitro Circus Live Tour, an MTV reality series highlighting reckless stunts on wheels.

Although he was born with spina bifida, Aaron doesn’t know much about the disability.  He prefers to focus his energy making sure he does everything his peers can do, but with a twist.  In fact, he earned his nickname “Wheelz” while performing wheelies in his chair through the halls of his high school.

For anyone who’s up for a thrill, check out Unit Clothing’s 6 minute mini-documentary on Wheelz.

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Author Bio

As a former educator for students with severe developmental disabilities, Karen Poch has a special passion for disability awareness and equality. She is proud to be a contributing blog writer for Handi-Lift, an organization whose shared mission is Accessibility with Dignity.