Hope you were able to catch some of the Paralympic action. All of us at Ride developed a personal connection to the US Men’s Wheelchair Basketball team when Matt Scott (front and center) visited shortly before the Games, looking for a more optimal connection with his wheelchair.
While at Ride, Matt allowed us to film him speaking about his wheelchair basketball story and the importance of seating to his health and career as a professional athlete.
A five-time Paralympian, now a two-time gold medalist, Matt was also voted by Team USA to be the flag bearer at the closing ceremonies — well done!
Matt Scott came to Ride Designs recently, looking for a more optimal connection with his basketball wheelchair, as he prepared for the Paralympic Games in Tokyo.
An elite competitor, Matt has played wheelchair basketball on nearly every stage, from pick up ball with friends, to junior league, collegiate, US National team, then professionally abroad in a number of countries, plus at the Paralympic level. A chair that is not working at 100% efficiency means Matt isn’t able to achieve what he knows he can on the court.
Matt’s old seating set up was big and bulky with lots of straps. He felt limited. The straps meant that he couldn’t carry the basketball in his lap and push with both hands. There was also extra give and flex in the bucket seating on his basketball chair — it no longer felt like an extension of himself on the court and didn’t respond to his movements the way he wanted.
Ride Designs listened to the challenges Matt was having with his chair and worked with him to figure out the best way to remedy each limitation. New, smaller straps were added that tightened the bucket closer to his body so that he could carry the ball more easily and keep it protected. The tighter-fitting solution also kept the bucket from flexing into the wheels on extreme turns, making the chair much more responsive. Seeking a second gold medal at your fifth Paralympic games, means that both the equipment and the athlete must be functioning at the highest level.
Matt is currently using a Ride Custom 2 Cushion for his daily seating and is feeling more protected and comfortable than ever. The choice to switch his seating to Ride Designs was a reaction to a serious health scare. Matt hopes to encourage others to be more proactive about their seating and skin health so that they never have an experience similar to his.
Learn more about Matt…
Join us in cheering on Matt and Team USA at the Tokyo 2020 (2021) Paralympic Games!
Stay tuned to the Games:
Official Paralympic Games website, constantly being updated.
A detailed schedule of which event is happening when, here.
How/where to watch, even if you don’t have cable, here.
“The United States may be the birthplace of basketball, but to make a career out of playing wheelchair hoops, athletes have had to move overseas.” — Gwen Knapp, New York Times, writes about professional wheelchair basketball teams abroad here.
Jenny Siegle was awarded the NRRTS* Consumer Advocate of the Year Award during the Unite4CRT Town Hall Meeting on July 28th.
That masked man in the photo, surprising Jenny while she was hosting the town hall online, is Ride CEO Tom Hetzel. Jenny’s mother, Barb, joined in.
A sports producer and huge Colorado Rockies fan, you may have seen Jenny modeling in some of Ride’s photography over the years or lobbying on Capitol Hill. She uses a Ride Custom Cushion and Back to support her active lifestyle.
Jenny helped to form the advocacy coalition, Unite4CRT, and has been a driving force in planning the monthly town hall meeting topics and discussions. As host of the meetings, Jenny’s warm and welcoming personality encourages discussion among a diverse audience.
The group’s mission is to bridge the gap between the perception and the reality of living with a disability. Consider joining their next meeting… information on registering to attend (free) is here.
*NRRTS is the National Registry of Rehabilitation Technology Suppliers
Recently we received a letter that made our day — what a story.
We love happy endings!
In 1975 I was injured in a farming accident and ended up a T10 paraplegic. For the first seven years, I used a naugahyde-covered foam cushion. I was able to sit up three to five hours before having pressure sore issues. I then switched to a Roho air cushion and was able to extend my sitting time to five to six hours before having issues.
As I aged, my sitting time slowly decreased. I found a $5000 electric pulsating air cushion and thought my problems were over. I worked directly with the company, but, unfortunately, had terrible results no matter what we did.
Over these 30 years, I spent half to three quarters of my waking time in bed either trying to prevent a pressure sore or recovering from one.
I then learned Mayo Clinic was starting a seating clinic for anyone in a wheelchair. I decided to make an appointment to see what they had to offer.
At the appointment, they put me on a pressure mapping pad and told me they had the perfect solution. I had been through several pressure mapping sessions at other places, so I was skeptical of their comment.
They brought out a Ride Java Cushion and for the next half hour, I got on and off the cushion while they shaped it to the reading on the pressure map. They were soon satisfied and said stay in town to try it for a few days. I was naturally very skeptical — I was going back to a simple, economical foam cushion like I had used 40 years before. I stayed in town and tried it for several different time periods.
No matter what length of time I spent sitting, I never had any red areas. I went back so they could re-look at the pressure map. They said nothing had changed and I was good to go. I went back home and was soon sitting up 8 to 10 hours per day with absolutely no red spots or any areas showing any kind of pressure problem.
I have used the cushion over five years now with not one single issue. I can easily sit up 18 hours at a time with no problem. After being in a wheelchair for 45 of my 66 years, it is a miracle.
Ride has always responded promptly to any of the many questions I have asked. I recently bought a second cushion to have as a spare even though I have not noticed much wear on my first.
I can’t say enough good about the Java Cushion and the team at Ride. They have given me my life back.
Sincerely,
Gary K.
Kudos to Gary for his persistence. We’re so glad he discovered Ride’s Java Cushion to be a great fit for his sit-uation. Thank you for writing!
Read more user success stories here and learn more about the Ride Java Cushion here.
Long time ski enthusiast Kelly Brush recently wrote about her experiences being fit for a Ride Custom ski shell for her monoski at Ride’s in-house Aspen Seating Clinic… read all about it here.
“The process was really awesome to watch. They use some space-age technology to take a mold of my body and make a bucket to fit my body perfectly, making a skin-safe seat that provides the responsiveness I need for skiing.”
The same seating principles that are used to make specialized adaptive equipment safe and stable are utilized in all of Ride Design’s cushions and backs.
Jenny Siegle was awarded the 
