October 17th, 2021 we are running a marathon to raise funds to operate All Access Life full-time for one year. During this year, we will give All Access Life the final push it needs. We strive to turn All Access Life into a sustainable business.
What is the story here?
To give you some background, Brad and I have been working together for 11 years! Brad was born with nonverbal spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy, which was caused from lack of oxygen to the brain at birth. Cognitively he was unaffected, so he is a very intelligent young man.
Since the age of 4 Brad has used assistive technologies to communicate and interact with his environment. He’s always excelled in his studies. When he transitioned from his specialized elementary school to a public high school, he was worried he wouldn’t fit in or get bullied, but boy was he wrong! High school was one of the best times of Brad’s life. He made many lifelong friends, made memories that will last a lifetime and it’s also where we met! I started working with Brad as his full-time aide in Grade 7 back in 2010 and we’ve been attached at the hips since then!
Fast forward 11 years, Brad and I are now running a non-profit business together that empowers people with disabilities through adaptive resources. This past decade there has been an abundance of adaptive resources coming out that impact the lives of people with disabilities. We find these resources, review them, and display them on this website under the categories section.
What is the goal?
We've been working All Access Life part-time for 5 years now. We've had many great achievements over the years and feel we are right on the cusp of turning All Access Life into a business that will have a profound impact on the lives of people with disabilities all over the world. Raising enough funds to operate All Access Life full-time for one year is the goal.
Why a marathon?
When Brad was in grade 9 we heard about a father and son named Dick and Rick Hoyt, who used to run marathons together. Rick was born with cerebral palsy and his father, Dick, always went above and beyond the call of duty to give Rick the best life possible. He would always say that it was his son running the marathon, he was simply lending him his legs. Dick was the motor and Rick was the heart. Their story resonated with Brad and I deeply. To the point that I promised Brad one day I would lend him my legs, and Brad would run a marathon of his own.
When the pandemic began, Brad and I went 5 months without seeing each other in person! Brad was feeling very isolated. I knew I had to figure out a new activity for us to get him out of the house more. We reached out to multiple companies that made adaptive jogging strollers. After week of not hearing anything, we finally found a company that was interested in hearing out our plan. We met them via Zoom and they were extremely impressed by our work and our vision. The plan was in exchange for an adaptive jogging stroller (which costs thousands of dollars) we would create a video review of it and run a marathon using it.
A few weeks later we received the Josi adaptive jogging stroller and created a video review. Brad and I now had an all-new activity we could do together outdoors! We began going on weekly runs. The Josi adaptive stroller is an all-terrain stroller so this meant we could go on all types of running adventures! We began exploring trail running, running on the grass by the waterfront and on the bike paths.
Showcase Brad's "no limits" mindset
Brad has decided he's going to use his adaptive walker to run the last leg of the race by himself! At the 40km mark I will be transferring Brad into his adaptive walker. He will be finishing the final 2.2km and crossing the finish line autonomously! Brad lives his life with a "no limits" mindset and wants to show the world anything is possible with the right attitude.
How can you support?
Sharing this post on social media
Sharing our GoFundMe Campaign
Donating to our GoFundMe Campaign
Company Sponsorship: We have a variety of sponsorship packages to choose from. Please email team@allaccesslife.org if interested.
We need your support to reach our target goal and break down each barrier along the way! Your support will allow us to live out our dream of empowering people with disabilities through All Access Life!