Aaron "Wheelz" Fotheringham is an inspiration to many fans world-wide! Photo: Jeff Crow/Nitro Circus Live.
If you happened to experience one of the fourteen Nitro Circus Live shows that recently toured around Oz you would have to agree that Aaron “Wheelz” Fotheringham Front Flipping his wheelchair off the mega ramp is one of the most inspirational things you’ve ever seen. Wheelz has single handedly changed the perception world-wide of what can be achieved riding a wheelchair and has inspired many people to look at the wheelchair as more of an instrument to be used for fun than just one for medical purposes and a means to get one from A to B. Before heading back to his hometown of Las Vegas Wheelz dropped by the Unit office to chat to us about his time in Oz on the Nitro Circus tour and what he visions for the future.
Wheelz it’s your first time in the Unit HQ, what do you think mate: I’m pumped man to be here, it’s cool to meet all the people that make this place happen and have to put up with me! (laughs)
Australia must be like your second home as you’ve spent so much time here of late: Yeah I’ve really enjoyed my time here, it’s been long enough, and I’m looking forward to going home, but I know as soon as I get there I’ll be bored and want to be back on tour.
Wheelz with his good friend Julie, who usually is giving him a ride while in Oz.
Where is home for you now and how different is it from Australia: Home is Las Vegas and it’s pretty warm there right now and heating up heading into the peak of summer. It’s great there because of all the skate parks I can access easily because I have a car, unlike in Oz where I’ve been relying on my friend Julie. The day after I get home I’ll be heading straight to California and Arizona to ride a bunch of parks, which are good options if I get bored in Las Vegas.
Do you have a crew you ride with also in wheelchairs, or BMX/skate: I mostly ride with bikers and skaters, although I do have a few mates in chairs, but none of them live close by. I’m always just cruising with the able bodies.
Tell us about the Nitro Circus tour you’ve just finished, what were some of the highlights: Man I had like a four show streak where I landed the Front Flip every attempt, which was pretty good. Another highlight has been not hitting my head hard every show. That’s has been a big problem in the past as my head is the first thing I hit when I crash, and now I’m working on crashing without hitting my head! I’ve decided I’d rather break my arm than hit my head again even though it takes longer to heal, but it’s more long term damage I’m trying to minimise because I want to ride until I’m like 95… (laughs).
It's insane to think you could Front Flip a wheelchair off a mega ramp. Wheelz is a legend! Photo: Jeff Crow/Nitro Circus Live.
How many bad hits have you taken to the head so far this year: About nine or ten. Good slams too and you notice it kinda messes with you a bit so I’m like, no more please, concussions are not fun! After a few good hits to the head I notice I space out a little more than usual, even though maybe I’ve always been easily distracted, but yeah it does affect me for sure.
You would get some good downtime mid week though: I’ve really enjoyed how much skate park time I’ve had between shows. Usually on tours you’re moving from stop to stop so quick and there’s no time, but on this trip I’ve ridden to my hearts content so I’m super happy about that. I’ve actually been able to flip a bunch of different parks thanks to friends pushing me really fast into quarters. I had a fun session with Rugby League player Jonathon Thurston who gave me a massive boost into a quarter and I flipped, which was a big honour as the guy is a legend. I was like YEAH, that was awesome!
So what’s the plan for the coming months now Nitro is over: Basically I have three months to chill and train before the Latin America tour kicks off, which will be intense. Then 2014 will be a big year with a bunch of tours that have just been released so I’m pretty pumped on that! I’ll always look forward to coming back to Australia though as the crowds are awesome, they’re the best, so loud, and we can always tell when we’re riding in front of them, it’s like, yes this is the place!
You’ve got a huge following on social media, are you pumped on this: Yeah my Instagram ‘AARONWHEELZ’ just blew up and I really appreciate all the love from everyone and it’s cool to see all the support I get via my social media pages. It’s a cool feeling having so many people into what I’m doing and kind of hard to explain really, but yeah I’m stoked! It’s sick!
Wheelz has a legion of fans on the Nitro Circus Live tours. Photo: Jeff Crow/Nitro Circus Live.
What’s your vision for the next decade: Wheelz would like to change the stereotypes that go along with the wheelchair. The big thing for me is wanting people to see being in a wheelchair is a fun thing like BMX is fun for bikers, a skateboard is fun for skaters etc. I’m tired of a wheelchair being perceived as a medical instrument, something you use just to get around. I want a wheelchair to be viewed as something you use to have fun like hitting ramps and riding skate parks like I do. The wheelchair is awesome and a tool to help you succeed in life! It makes me feel good when I see more and more people go to parks in their wheelchair and making most of the opportunity, that really pumps me up!
Inspirational stuff Wheelz, thanks for dropping by the Unit office, and keep living the dream mate: No problem, thanks for having me, you guys rock!
Source: http://www.unit.com/united-states/blog/2013/6/13/no-boundaries--aaron-wheelz-fotheringham/
No comments:
Post a Comment