If someone asked me what my favorite hobby is, it would be hard to pick just one! I have quite a few favorites. Golf, ping pong, darts, axe throwing (that’s a new one!) Before I had iLevel® technology on my power chair, I used a wheelchair at standard height, and these activities that I loved were a lot trickier and not really fun. The ease of using the elevated seating on my power wheelchair, as well as the quickness of the elevation going up and down made things simple and enjoyable. Thanks to iLevel, I can fully participate in my hobbies, enjoy them and sharpen my skills. It also gives me opportunities to discover new hobbies!
Ping Pong at iLevel
I really like to play ping pong. Before I had elevated seating, my power wheelchair was too low at standard height below the table. It was difficult to get a good hit off the ball. With iLevel, it’s easy for me to get a good power hit in against my opponent!
Throwing Darts with iLevel
The great thing about darts is that you can play it a lot of different ways. There’s cricket, 501, to name a few. Regardless of what darts game you play, being at eye level with the dart board is important. Before I got my Edge 3 with iLevel technology, I had a standard height power chair. It really stinks trying to throw a dart up at the dart board to make that bullseye. With 12-inch iLevel, I can elevate my chair and be at eye level with the dart board. iLevel technology definitely gives me an edge!
Golfing at the Driving Range with iLevel
I really enjoy golf and go to the driving range a lot to practice my swing. It’s definitely challenging to swing a golf club from a wheelchair at sitting height. You don’t get nearly as much power in your swing. When I am elevated, I swing the club using my one arm and get more power from having a wider swing arc. You can check out my golf swing here in this video.
While there are a lot of great sports out there that can be adapted for wheelchair users, it’s nice having the option to elevate at iLevel and play these sports at standing height like everyone else. Especially with ping pong and darts, I am glad that iLevel got me back into playing bar sports again. I’m having the time of my life!
About Bryan: Bryan grew up and resides in Illinois. Injured by an IED in October 2005, Bryan is one of the few triple amputees to survive his injuries in Iraq. He is an ambassador for the Gary Sinise Foundation and a spokesperson for USA Cares, which is focused on assisting post 9-11 veterans. Click here to learn more about Bryan.