Category Archives: The Lockwood foundation

What can I say and how do I start to describe how I feel about doing this hike?! Before the event was planned, I always wondered what it would be like to go on a hike up a mountain. But, I also never thought that I could do it! Having the kind of Cerebral Palsy that I do, I could not see myself doing something like that or making others help me get me up a mountain. I know how long it takes for a typical person to do something like that, and it takes me much longer. As Jeff and I started talking about how I could go on this trip, I didn’t think there would be so many people who would come and volunteer, especially with everything that has been happening this year. The weeks before the event, to be honest, I was not that nervous. I had typical feelings about hard questions that needed to be asked. Two questions that we had to answer were: How do we keep bears and other animals away, and what would happen if I got sick? With some brainstorming, we decided that a dog named Lady could stay in my tent to alert me and Jeff if there was an animal nearby. Lady is actually Jeff’s dog, but sometimes I like to call her my own. In regards to me getting sick, I actually got one of my headaches that I get often. I was okay getting to the halfway mark and to base camp. When I got out of the chair and laid down, however, I started getting nauseous and even threw up many times. I could tell that everyone was looking at me. They were wondering if I had altitude sickness and if I should go back down. When I get sick, it’s harder for me to talk. As I could see everyone getting worried, Jeff told them that it was a normal headache for me. I just needed a few hours to rest. By the evening, I rejoined the group. If Jeff didn’t know what I needed, I couldn’t have reached the end goal!If Jeff was busy, other volunteers stepped in to assist me with my care needs. I was never really too scared about having other people help me. I am used to having different people help me with my care. I was just excited to get to do something that I always wanted to do! Getting there and realizing how many people were there to help me get up this mountain was so overwhelming. I was emotional because I had so many people to help me have this once-in-a-lifetime experience. It was great seeing people who didn’t even know each come together to make it happen! When we saw the top, I started crying out of happiness! Having this experience means so much to me! A few people came up to me during the weekend. They told me I was a hero. Honestly, I don’t see it that way. I just wanted to do something that anybody else would do, if they like hiking I would like to thank everyone who volunteered so much! I would like to give a special thanks to Jeffrey Lockwood, the founder and organizer of The Lockwood Foundation. Without him and the volunteers, this wouldn’t have been possible.

The Lockwood foundation

When you think about when you think of someone who is in a wheelchair? I don’t think you would think wheelchair uses could be hikes or experience the outdoors. I didn’t think I could go on an adventure with snow everywhere or an adventure that wasn’t made for my wheelchair could on, even if I am the one that doesn’t let her disability stop her! Now I am a part of an amazing organization that gets people with disables on adventures, it’s named; The Lockwood foundation. This last Sunday we had planned this snow hike and a friend was going on this adventure, but unfortunately she couldn’t go; so I got to go,.. first me and the cold weather don’t get along, but I went and I will say I am glad i went. I was in a sled which made by the founder and volunteers, the sled helped me to be a part of the hike. They had built a snow shelter, we hung out in a little bit. I was and am so glad that the Lockwood foundation is doing things that disabled people could only deam but now we can!