For many, outdoor exploration means stepping outside of daily routines. But, in the words of adventurer Joe Stone, "adventure is just entering into the unknown.”
Instead of viewing his wheelchair as a barrier, Joe transformed it into a springboard for exploring new landscapes—on three wheels, in the air, and on the open road.
Overcoming Obstacles Through Innovation
After sustaining a spinal cord injury 12 years prior, the immediate question was whether returning to extreme sports like mountain biking, camping, and paragliding would be possible.
The answer lay in rapid advancements in adaptive technology. Transitioning from standard two-wheeled mountain bikes to specialized three-wheeled off-road cycles opened up new terrain.
“This new bike that I have is something that has, in one year, opened up more opportunities for me to go more places than the entire 12 years of being a person with a disability,” says Joe.
The Freedom of a Mobile Basecamp
Joe’s re-entry into outdoor sports required solving a practical problem: logistics. Participating in multi-day adventures, like camping, meant establishing a safe, accessible place to rest between activities.
By utilizing a custom-adapted RV—a mobile home tailored to specific physical needs—the barrier of inconsistent hotel or campsite accessibility was removed. Having a personalized, mobile basecamp creates a reliable "accessible bubble,” granting complete freedom to travel off the grid or camp near friends without compromise.
“I was then able to have the freedom to go wherever I wanted, and I didn’t have to worry about accessibility,” he says.
Pushing Boundaries: From Trail to Sky
Beyond mountain biking, paragliding has proven to be one of the most inclusive activities available. Once in the air, physical limitations fade, building a sense of total weightlessness and autonomy.
“I still find it really important to get out and do things and fill my own cup, but once that cup is full, I’m able to then help other people,” Joe explains. “The outdoors, for me, are really important. There’s no way around it: the disability is coming with me, wherever I go. The outdoors are everything to me. I’ve never known life without the outdoors, and I’d have a hard time imagining what it would be like.”
