Sep 22, 2022
Dubbed “the real-life most interesting man alive” by The Chive, Ira Edwards isn’t just out there living an active outdoor lifestyle in Alaska, he’s doing so from a wheelchair. After creating a wildly adventurous and outdoor-centric life, Ira was struck by a falling tree about 10 years ago and paralyzed from the waist down. Today he continues many of his adventures despite the physical barriers, inspires others to do the same and advocates for creating and maintaining accessibility for all users.
In this episode Ira talks about what it takes to stay positive and active despite a life-altering disability and guides us through what everyone can do to make sure nature is as accessible as possible for all types of users.
Connect with this episode:
Join the Humans Outside Challenge
Follow Humans Outside on Instagram
Follow Humans Outside on Facebook
Some of the good stuff:
[2:41] Ira Edward’s favorite outdoor space
[3:53] How Ira became someone who likes to go outside
[4:45] The story of Ira’s injury
[7:36] The challenge of recovery
[9:12] Moving forward mentally
[12:44] The crazy expenses
[16:08] Why modeling the possible matters
[20:28] The role of heading outside in staying positive
[22:00] Staying warm while doing it
[26:12] The biggest challenge of heading outside
[28:12] Why this crazy thing that I didn’t think of is the real barrier (literally)
[30:14] It’s all about money and policy
[31:26] The easy things we can all do to help
[35:00] Did you ask a person with a disability?
[36:50] Ira’s favorite outdoor gear
[40:45] Ira’s favorite outdoor moment