A New Path Forward — Adaptive Adventures To Enjoy Time Outside

Written and personal photos by Thomas Speer and Anna Belle Lamar

Additional photography by Sarah Holm

Rooted in Nature

Growing up, I found my passion for nature and the outdoors while camping with the Boy Scouts and spending time outside with my dad. We enjoyed exploring sections of the Appalachian Trail and Oak Mountain State Park in my hometown, Birmingham, Alabama. Other favorite ventures were the Long Trail in Vermont, the Grand Tetons, and the Sipsey Wilderness. I loved to rock climb, backpack, play paintball, swim in the Cahaba River, kayak, and I was on my high school football team.

Right before graduating from high school, I was in a car accident and suffered a spinal cord injury. After a tumultuous recovery with lots of support from family and friends, I started learning about the world of adaptive sports. To be able to return to the mountain biking trails, I applied to the Make-A-Wish Foundation and was granted a handcycle! The handcycle enabled me to return to exploring, and I started finding new paths in life. I moved to Colorado, where I mainly focused on learning adaptive skiing. Other things I found myself coming back to were playing disc golf, fly fishing, and paddling. 

Same Passions, Different Abilities

Everyone, no matter their abilities or how those abilities may change over time, can share the same love for being outside and enjoying nature. It is essential to bring visibility to adaptive sports that make outdoor spaces easier to access for people with disabilities.

First, people with disabilities need to know that it is possible for them to also get outside and enjoy the benefits of nature. So often, we don’t see ourselves in the picture or view outdoor adventure as something attainable. We need to uplift disabled people and show them what’s possible so they feel empowered to go for it.

Second, when the stories of people with disabilities are highlighted and shared, when we’re included in the conversation, it creates an invitation for everybody to remember us and advocate for accessibility in outdoor recreation. If people don’t see us, they won’t think of us when they’re planning the new walking paths, public restrooms, river access, parking lot, etc. 

Building A Life In Western North Carolina

My best friend, Kevin IV, is a trained Canine Companions for Independence service dog and goes everywhere with me. He is a Labrador golden retriever mix, and I have had him for three and a half years. Kevin spent his first year and a half with a puppy raiser who helped socialize him and taught him basic tasks. The dogs then go to a Canine Companions training center where they learn commands specific to becoming a service dog. Kevin helps carry groceries, picks things up for me, opens doors, and supports me in daily activities. He truly wants to help and is such a good boy. Kevin is my second Canine Companions for Independence dog, and my life has been forever changed for the better because of Derby and Kevin.

A few years ago, we met Anna Belle for our first date — a picnic at Ledford Branch in Bent Creek in Asheville, North Carolina. The rest is history! We have been on many adventures together since then, and have done a lot more picnicking, hammocking, and gardening. I got Anna Belle a bike for our first Christmas together so we could ride the same trails. A couple of months ago, I asked Anna Belle to marry me on a ski trip in Colorado, and I am excited to continue our adventures in the self-converted Skoolie we live in together. 

Living full-time in a school bus conversion has been an eye-opening experience for me. Anna Belle and I have connected with the land where we live and have enjoyed traveling in our home. There’s nothing like bringing the comforts of home with you to experience new places.

We have spent a couple of trips eating oysters in the Gulf Coast, going to music festivals, and we knocked something off my bucket list by taking it on a ferry to the Outer Banks. In the winter, we snuggle up and have movie nights with Kevin at our feet. As the weather has warmed up, we’ve enjoyed cracking open the bus windows in the morning to listen to the creek and the sounds of nature waking up around us. 

Gear That Gets You There

This spring, Anna Belle and I were invited to ride the trails at Lake James in Nebo, North Carolina, with Western North Carolina companies, Outrider USA, and ENO. We turned it into a weekend of camping with our Skoolie, soaking in the scenic views, and enjoying quality time together in nature.  

This was my first experience riding the Outrider Coyote through the woods. It’s impressive how the Coyote traverses hills, roots, and obstacles incredibly well, and I can keep up with Anna Belle on her mountain bike and Kevin.

The Coyote opens up possibilities of where you can go, and you have a lot of fun getting there. The Coyote can take you places the wheelchair just can’t reach. The all wheel drive and 5,000 watt motors will get you uphill fast, and the regenerative braking response will help you slow down and traverse trails as you’re heading back down the mountain. Another example, a wheelchair will get stuck in the sand at the beach. With the Coyote, you can plow through the sand, which makes going to the beach a lot easier. 

At some point in the excursion, you gotta slow down, relax, and take in the view. ENO gear helps you create the perfect setup to do just that. It’s compact, simple to set up, and extremely comfortable. I can transfer into the hammock from my wheelchair, and there’s room for Anna Belle and me to snuggle up in the DoubleNest Hammock together. We’ve been long-time ENO-users and have loved hammocking in our backyard, at parks we visit, and at music festivals. When you’re exhausted from having too much fun, you can set up your two-person hammock with Atlas Hammock Straps to relax and take in your surroundings.

Everyone can benefit by spending time in nature. Getting outdoors lets you get exercise, change up your routine, and enjoy life. Spending time outside, hearing the quiet, and soaking in the sun helps us slow down and pay attention. Going through life more aware, grateful, and connected is why we love getting outside. When you have the Outrider Coyote and ENO hammock in your adaptive toolkit, it allows you to further access and appreciate nature.

Author Bio

Thomas Speer is a glass artist, outdoor enthusiast, and music lover based in Western North Carolina. He lives out of his self-converted school bus with his fiancée, Anna Belle, and his Canine Companion, Kevin IV.