Discovering I could drive without the use of my legs was nothing short of a revelation. Before a car crash left me paralyzed from the chest down, I had no knowledge of the adaptations available to Disabled drivers until the moment the occupational therapist in spinal rehabilitation told me that it was, in fact, still possible for me to get behind the wheel.
A few days later, I transferred clumsily into a learner car, buckled my seatbelt, and placed one hand on a steering ball and the other around a “push-pull system.” I felt the vehicle edge forward as I pulled the hand controls gently towards me, even though my legs sat unresponsive in the footwell. My life, which had so far been unrecognizable in those early days of recovery, felt like it was back in my control.
As a Disabled traveler, I didn’t feel so paralyzed in the driver’s seat—and to those around me, I didn’t look it, either.
Adjusting to living with paralysis means, in large part, coming to terms with accessing the world in a wheelchair, but the prospect of existing solely within the limits of four manual-powered wheels never sat well with me. From that first drive onwards, I realized I would need to somehow find alternative ways to navigate my surroundings—to reinvent the wheelchair, so to speak. After all, there is only so far a wheelchair can go.
Driving represented freedom and gave me agency at a time when my fate felt desperately uncertain. It also gave me some escapism from the confines of people’s perceptions of what life lived with a Disability could or could not be. I didn’t feel so paralyzed in the driver’s seat, and to those around me, I didn’t look it, either.
My whole world as a Disabled driver changed once again when I discovered the Can-Am Ryker. Although not designed for someone like me, with two wheels at the front and one behind, it is inherently stable enough to ride using your legs without core strength or balance. For my first ride, I decided to journey up to Scotland to revisit the place where I was paralyzed all those years ago. As I rode independently over the road scar that my then out-of-control car had carved into the tarmac, I felt as in control as I could have ever imagined being again. The experience became the title of my memoir, Driving Forwards, a mantra for life post-life-changing injury.
Despite being closely associated with men, the stereotype of a biker is one many women can get on board with: She’s strong, brave, and defies convention.
“This must be what it feels like to have a penis,” a friend of mine hilariously observed when she straddled my brand-new modified CanAm Spyder F3-S with a semi-automatic 1330cc engine. Whatever you want to call the surge of energy that pulsates through you when you feel the
The website maxtravelz.com is an aggregator of news from open sources. The source is indicated at the beginning and at the end of the announcement. You can send a complaint on the news if you find it unreliable.
Immerse yourself in the lush hills, heather-capped mountains and river valleys of the Bannau Brycheiniog national park (formerly known as the Brecon Beacons) with a three-night retreat that combines nature’s restorative powers with yoga. Located on a historic country estate, accommodation is in comfortable converted farm buildings – including the old grain silo, ideal for two, with the grounds perfect for restorative strolls. The package includes two guided hikes, delicious vegan food, paddleboarding down the River Wye or walking into the nearby book lover’s town of Hay-on-Wye. Four-day retreat (various dates) from £649pp full-board; adventureyogi.com
Old Sod Travel launches Old Sod Golf, a new brand dedicated to crafting luxury golf experiences across top European destinations including Scotland and Ireland.
At the foot of Scafell Pike, England’s highest peak, and at the northern end of one of the Lake District’s most dramatic valleys is the National Trust campsite at Wasdale Head (basic grass pitch from £38 for two nights). As well as standard pitches there are heated camping pods, three tipis, a bell tent and campervan pitches. Great Gable and Pillar, two other famous fells, are a walk away. The location, at the foot of the mountains, with Lingmell Beck flowing past, is brilliant and there are enough facilities to make life easy but not detract from the camping feel. We haven’t climbed Scafell Pike yet, but even without doing that there was still enough for a good active trip.Emma
The carved face of a cateran stares out of the waymarker before me. Deriving from the Gaelic word ceatharnach, meaning a lightly armed warrior, “cateran” later came to denote the cattle raiders particularly active here in Strathardle, Glenshee and Glen Isla up to the 18th century.
The Albion hotel, which can lay claim to some of the best sea views on the island, has been welcoming guests to Freshwater Bay since Victorian times. It is about to reopen under new ownership after a multimillion-pound refurbishment. The new-look Albion will have 40 rooms, 36 of them sea-facing, including two suites, seven dog-friendly rooms and two accessible rooms. Some have roll-top baths and balconies or terraces. The Rock is its new 100-seater restaurant, which sources more than 90% of ingredients from the island, including garlic, tomatoes, fish, lobster and meat. A free shuttle bus drops off and picks up guests from local bars and restaurants. The hotel is about a 10-minute drive from Yarmouth ferry port.Opens in June, taking bookings for 19 June, doubles from £99 B&B (two‑night minimum), albionhotel.co.uk
As I boarded the Caledonian Sleeper with my family at Edinburgh Waverly on a cool Scottish summer night, it was difficult not to get caught up in the romantic quality of this eight-hour journey to London. The train's midnight teal exterior reflected the hue of the sky, and coupled with the vintage-y copperplate gothic font emblazoned on it, the scene felt spliced from the celluloid of a Wes Anderson film. That a kindly bellhop from The Balmoral, our hotel adjacent to the station, loaded our valises off a trolley cart did little to rein in these trappings.
It may have been lightly raining on my final descent into Edinburgh, but the hint of gloomy weather couldn’t dim my excitement on this milestone journey across the pond.