Wheelz

By: Steven C. Fotheringham

Narrated by: Bruce W. Hansen

"The effect that Wheelz has on the crowd is out of this world. I mean, we have the best in the world of action sports, and more people come to see Wheelz than anybody else." (Travis Pastrana, X Games gold medalist and Nitro Circus organizer, leader and performer)

Many people succeed in spite of great challenges. Aaron "Wheelz" Fotheringham is not one of those people. When asked by ESPN, "How do you define spina bifida?" Aaron responded, "A great opportunity." Consumed by the simple but logical belief that riding is more fun than walking, Aaron took his wheelchair and turned it into a toy, playing and practicing on it until there was no place he couldn't go. After beating his peers in all the BMX competitions he could enter, Aaron became the unicorn of the Nitro Circus team, the ultimate dream of every BMX rider and skateboarder alike. Aaron's biography so far includes pain, determination, failure, motivation, and unimagined success. And yet these things are incidental to the real story. What makes his story great is that his attitude is contagious, and Wheelz is anything but quarantined.

Download the accompanying reference guide.©2015 Steven C. Fotheringham (P)2015 Steven C. Fotheringham

Inspiring Life's Lessons

The obvious lesson from this book is that a young man has inspired us to realize we can accomplish things that to others seem impossible. Aaron's indomitable spirit and courage have changed and will change many lives. I normally don't read a lot or listen to many books other than technical ones but this book was very interesting to me and most of it flowed very quickly. It is much more than a book about wheelchair stunts. It was intriguing to understand how the spirit in this young man opened unchartered territory and changed the world. It is also a great story about how a mother and father allowed their young boy to follow his dreams, supporting him in unimagined ways and letting go of their own fears and not trying to micro-manage the never before traveled journey of their son. I could knit pick some of the flow of the book or some of the expression in this audio version but the story is real and is powerful and interesting.

Buy a lot of tissues

Listened to this in the car worth my daughter, who has spina bifida and plays wheelchair basketball. Bad idea; it's hard to drive when you're crying, and nearly every chapter of this book made me cry. At least it was, as the author would say, "Good cry." All the thumbs up for this one.

Inspiring

What a inspiring book to listen to on a long trip, which is what we did. The adventures and journey of this amazing young man was life fulfilling. No matter what life deals you in the way of obstacles and trials this book can help you deal with it. Love the attitude Aaron, you go and conquer the world. The narration was suburb, and easy to listen on a long trip, kudos to all involved with this project.

Inspiring and Very Entertaining

Would you listen to Wheelz again? Why?

Yes! It makes me realize that everyone has tough things that they have to get through in life but if we don't limit ourselves we can succeed far beyond what we imagined possible.

What did you like best about this story?

I loved how the author broke it down and made the story real. This is not some perfect kid who was born with super human powers. This is the story about a kid who had what most people would consider the world stacked against him and who refused to be pushed down. He pushed against the world's boundaries with hours of sweat, blood, and tears to earn every inch of success he received.

What does Bruce W. Hansen bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Bruce Hansen brought the story to life for me. The emotion he is able to communicate through voice, tone and inflection, helped me to feel like I was there in the crowd watching Aaron chanting, "Wheelz, Wheelz, Wheelz... "

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

"Wheelz is a fighter that can't be held back!"

Any additional comments?

Thank you for sharing this empowering story! I will recommend it to anyone looking for a good read.