The Hibernation is Over - Get In Shape with WHEELSTRONG SPORTS!

By Wendy Crawford

Rachelle Chapmen demonstrates bar exercise

With spring fast approaching (we hope!), it's time to wake up our bodies after a long, grueling winter. Many of us crawled under our warm and fuzzy blankets, munching on comfort food and binge-watched our favorite series on Netflix to make it through this year's  record breaking snow storms!

Soon, if not already for some, we will start shedding our layers so it's time to get active and get in shape. You will feel better, enjoy the health benefits, look better and give your mood a boost. When you exercise, your body releases chemicals called endorphins. These endorphins interact with the receptors in your brain that reduce your perception of pain, give you a positive feeling and help you sleep. What could be better?


Fortunately for us, there is an online community that can help motivate us and share ideas so we can reach our workout goals, WHEELSTRONG SPORTS, Inc. .mobileWOMEN.org had the opportunity to speak with the founder,  Matthew Celeberto.

mW: Tell us about WHEELSTRONG SPORTS, Inc.

MC: We at WHEELSTRONG SPORTS want to unite athletes of adaptive sports into the WHEELSTRONG community. Our Goal is to inspire, motivate, encourage, support, innovate and give back to others of all levels and capabilities to help accomplish their goals. In just over 4 years, WHEELSTRONG SPORTS has donated over $4,000 in money and merchandise.We are uniting adaptive sports and the athletes that play.

Is Therapeutic Chiropractic Massage for You?

By Bethany Hoppe

I remember feeling guilty yet energized by the awkwardness of stripping down in the middle of the afternoon.  A total interruption to my normal day, I slid hesitantly between the cool sheets, stretching my limbs, flexing my fingers, and flattening my back into the warmth of the plush cushioning that embraced by tiny body.  

It was leisurely. 

It was relaxing.  

It took the edge off my nerves, and soothed my frazzled hectic schedule into nothingness.  I felt like I had indulged in a fine wine without taking a sip.

Who knew that therapeutic chiropractic massage was so beneficial?

Before I began to use my manual chair full-time, I meandered around the farm, school, town, and later the campus on standard crutches. The benefit of this was virtual accessibility to just about any building I would ever want to go to.  Plus, it kept the pounds off, the muscles built, and my core strength pretty stellar.

The drawback was the wear and tear on my arms, hands, and shoulders.  Eventually, around 1997 I chose to use my chair more or less full time.  By 2000 I was seated at all times.  The benefit was the nerve and sensory recovery for my arms and hands, as well as less wear and tear on my body for my best longevity in health.  The drawback was a loss in metabolism, and a pretty quick weakening of my core.  

Teal Sherer's "My Gimpy Life" a Relatable, Laugh-out-Loud Online Comedy Series

Teal Sherer

by Cheryl Price

Picture an extremely crowded restaurant. Tables are lined up without room to spare, leaving the smallest paths to pass. Now imagine running a few minutes late to meet a blind date. You enter this restaurant and see him at a faraway table. The goal, of course, is to make it to that table in a nonchalant yet confident manner. Sounds easy enough, right?

In the episode titled “Crowded,” from season one of “My Gimpy Life,” Teal is this woman at the restaurant. The star of the web sitcom doesn’t want to stand out, however she must ask most of the restaurant diners to move their chairs so that she can get through…with her wheelchair.

“Excuse me!”

“Sorry!”

“Can you move in a little, please?”

Can you relate? I know I can! While watching this episode last year, I nodded and laughed at this and many other awkward scenarios Teal found herself in, and my reaction continued throughout the remainder of the season.

Life Lessons My Kids Are Learing From Having a Disabled Mom: People Can Be Ignorant

By Annae Jones
Reprinted with permission from The Mobility Resource

Most of us have had an unkind word thrown at us or have been the recipient of an ignorant comment. I have had people tell me how disgusting it was when I picked something up with my foot at the grocery store and once, a man insist my mother had taken drugs while she was pregnant with me – a far cry from the truth.

Then while being denied special needs transportation for our daughter, a kindergartener, when my son was only two and it was difficult for me to get him in a car seat; my husband and I had a public service worker tell us we should have thought about that before we had children.  These examples are on the extreme side and I usually tune out “ignorant” comments, but now that my children are getting older I worry about them being exposed to this cruel side of human nature.

I am not delusional. I know my kids will experience ignorance. It is a part of life-learning to understand where these comments come from and what to do about them.  My real worry is if my children will think less of me when they hear something about their mom. Will they be embarrassed? Will they begin to think that something is wrong with me?