I found this older article in Disaboom Living today.
Ever heard of extreme sitting? No, it doesn't involve a new,
gimmicky exercise routine or a contest to see who can spend the longest
on the couch. Extreme sitting is a new sport in which participants
perform skateboard-like tricks in their wheelchair. It's a relatively
new phenomenon, which might explain why its founder, Aaron
Fotheringham, is only 16.
Born with spina bifida,
Aaron has been in a wheelchair since he was three, but he hasn't let
his disability stop him from participating in extreme sports. When
Aaron was younger, he used to watch his older brother Brian ride BMX.
Then, at the age of eight, he decided to give the skatepark a whirl
himself...
Soon, he began practicing a back flip-first attempting the trick in
a pool of foam cushions. After fifty or sixty warm ups, he was ready
to attempt the stunt on concrete.
On July 13, 2006, after approximately fifteen unsuccessful attempts,
Aaron became the first person ever to perform a back flip in a
wheelchair.
I was so intrigued by this that I went over to YouTube and found a clip of Aaron's backflip. Enjoy!
