Really Wheely Extreme Sports

21 Mar 2012: Today's blog was derived from a video clip that I saw on a media website, of a woman bungee jumping whilst in her wheelchair, which you can see here: http I was so amazed at this that I had to explore, and found out why and how she was able to do it.

After putting my self-taught, investigative journalism skills to good use, I discovered that the bungee jump was made possible because of a company called 9Lives Adventures.

9Lives Adventures is an adrenalin adventure tour company, based in Canada, and was produced by two mates, and C7 spinal cord injury survivors; Karim Ladki and Matt Thola.

In 2007, Karim, the brains behind the operation, suffered a C7 vertebrae fracture, and faced the possibility of becoming a paraplegic. Luck was on his side, and he was able to make a full recovery. Matt wasn't so lucky, and has remained paralysed since a serious car accident that damaged his spinal cord forever.

From Karim's accident, came a great deal of respect and understanding for those who don't fully recover from SCI's, and face daily barriers from being full time wheelchair user's.

Being a thrill seeker himself, Karim couldn't imagine how he would've satisfied his adventurous side, if his circumstances had turned out differently, and he was unable to regain the feeling in his legs, as there weren't any accessible tour companies that catered to those types of activities.

So, together with Matt, he organised an awareness project, to help adrenalin junkies, with disabilities, learn how to overcome barriers, so they could continue to seek thrills, as they did before their injury.

During this time, they attracted a lot of national and international media attention, and were invited to do a similar tour across the east coast of Australia, by the first Australian paraplegic to skydive solo. That's when 9Lives Adventures was born and their first actual tour took place in 2011.

The company has now teamed up with other adrenaline junkies to fulfil the dreams of the disabled and able bodied, by offering a vast selection of extreme activities. The boys have created packages to suit those who may be just testing the level of extreme waters that they are after, all the way to those who are experts at living life on the edge.

Each package begins in Whistler, Canada, where accessible accommodation is provided, along with fully catered meals, VIP nightlife activities, and a personal choice of either bungee jumping, skydiving, jet-boating or hooning around on all-terrain vehicles during the summer, with winter activities available during the snowy months.

There are standard packages available, but they can be fully customized to suit groups or sporting teams, for that extra special, exciting team-building retreat. The different packages range from $500, they are available throughout winter and summer, and the activities vary depending on the season.

To view 9Lives Adventures, click here: http://www.9livesadventures.com/ - on the site, you can read about how it all began, who's involved, and see exactly what type of extreme activities they get up to. You will also learn why their motto is; ‘we are alive', ‘we are individual' and ‘we are able'.

Karim and Matt on their trip down under