More than moral support: A power wheelchair user’s race victory

Last week, I ran 4 miles in 50 minutes. “Big deal,” you might say. “You ride in a power wheelchair that can go 6 miles per hour.”

All very true. Because I have SMA and cannot walk or bear weight, I use a power wheelchair as my primary mobility aid, and I really expected to be underwhelmed by this achievement, too. So what happened?

Some of my able-bodied friends decided months ago that they would do some intentional walking to feel more fit and maybe lose a little weight. As a motivating factor, they proposed running in the Fort4Fitness Fall Festival, a citywide fitness challenge in Fort Wayne, Indiana, at the end of the summer.

Sort of as a joke, I agreed to join them for moral support. Going for walks in my neighborhood in the summer, or “stRolls,” as I call them, is a favorite pastime, and my wheelchair has a speedometer and mile counter on its screen, so I could act as a cheerleader-trainer for the team. It would be easy and fun for me and, as long as I remembered to charge my battery. And it wouldn’t cost me anything.

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The big day

After five months of woefully lax training on my part, the day of the big event arrived, and we clipped our bibs on our shirts and headed for the starting line.

Thousands of people were in attendance, so the process of lining up was very organized. Wheelchair users were told to line up at the front to get a head start. Honestly, I rather resented being told that. After all, I was there to support my friends, which I couldn’t do if I was way ahead of them! So I decided just to stay in the middle of the crowd with them.

Moments before the pistol was fired to start the race, I realized what I had just done. The reason they wanted the wheelchairs to go first was because I was about to get completely trampled by a stampede of runners! In a panic, during which I envisioned myself in that traumatic scene from “The Lion King,” I squirmed my way to the front, crossed the starting line, and eased onto the side of the road.

From left, Amy Klotzle, Jena Schwab, Miranda Dyson, and Connie Chandler celebrate finishing the Fort4Fitness Fall Festival fitness challenge. (Courtesy of Connie Chandler)

I managed to find my friends in the throng after the race started and it was fun to ride beside them as they jogged at a pretty steady 4- to 4.5-mph speed. I smiled and got caught up in the energy of all those people, the beauty of the day, and the fun of rolling around downtown streets. I especially loved it when we went through neighborhoods, where people were outside their houses with encouraging signs, cups of water, and even some live music.

My heart began to race and I started breathing harder like I was actually running, but in that moment, I wasn’t sure if it indicated my great imagination, my empathy, or that I needed more regular exercise.

Around the 3-mile marker, my driving arm was aching from my shoulder to my wrist. I pulled over to the side of the road to readjust, but it continued to get more sore as I went. I have often scoffed at gamers who complain about their fingers cramping, but I was starting to relate. Muscle fatigue is a real thing with SMA and simply pressing my joystick forward that much and for that long was pushing me to my limit in unexpected ways.

At mile 4, I was having trouble holding myself up and keeping my head from flopping over. Maintaining my balance, even on pavement (though riddled with potholes) was becoming a serious challenge. I was absolutely exhausted and starting to wonder if I would be able to finish!

I did finish. My whole team did, in fact, and in record time. That last bit was pretty rough though, and I took it much more slowly to make sure my hand wouldn’t fall off my joystick or I wouldn’t topple over. When a volunteer draped a medal around my neck, I felt a bit overwhelmed. I’d participated in the race purely to support my friends, but it ended up being a huge victory for me, too.

Believe me, though. I will take my training preparation much more seriously next time!

Note: SMA News Today is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of SMA News Today or its parent company, Bionews, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to spinal muscular atrophy.