When Wheelchairs Failed Him, He Invented A New Way To Hike

By Emily Cureton

Published November 25, 2019 at 9:47 AM PST

Five people move in tandem down a trail as it gets steeper and narrower than the bright orange metal frame connecting them.

This trail, popular with Bend, Oregon, families, is a testing ground for inventor Geoff Babb, and the stakes couldn鈥檛 be higher.

One miscalculation about how to navigate the tight squeeze of boulders, and he could topple over the edge toward an ice-cold river below. But, that鈥檚 not what worries Babb, who hasn鈥檛 walked since a stroke 14 years ago.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 feel scared on the trail. I trust these guys to figure it out, how to get through those narrow spots without tipping me over,鈥� he said.

As the team lifts him over rocks, Babb focuses on how certain components are working. He鈥檚 invested countless hours in this prototype for a new style of an all-terrain wheelchair.

鈥淟ook at the river, the serviceberry, the color. The sun is out. There鈥檚 no way we could get back here with a regular wheelchair,鈥� he said.

Babb is recovering from two strokes with the help of his wife, Yvonne, family, and many friends.

鈥淢y stroke affected my whole body. It鈥檚 called quadriparesis, or weakness in all four limbs,鈥� he explained.

Even though stroke is the leading cause of serious disability in the nation, he found existing all-terrain wheelchairs didn鈥檛 suit his needs 鈥� some are too frail, others require upper body strength, and motorized options aren鈥檛 allowed on many trails.

Babb began envisioning a new design to help himself and other outdoor enthusiasts with serious disabilities.

The was born.

It鈥檚 a mountain bike-inspired product, with treaded tires, handlebars and disc brakes, but it鈥檚 also a team sport. Between one and six people can help push, pull and steer the rider.

鈥淓ven though we have a planned route, you don鈥檛 always know what you are going to encounter along the route,鈥� said Amy Kazmier, a friend and so-called 鈥渕ule.鈥�

The nickname for people who power the chair came after a fateful trip to the Grand Canyon in 2016. An axle broke in the famously steep terrain, and 鈥渨e had to take his chair apart and carry it up the hill,鈥� Kazmier recalled.

The failure changed the course of the project.

鈥淲e had to do a completely different design,鈥� said Jack Arnold, a product development engineer.

They looked to the outdoor sports industry to strengthen the frame.

鈥淭he AdvenChair is not based on wheelchair parts. It's based on mountain bike components ... [which] are more durable than wheelchair parts and less expensive. And there are bike mechanics all over the place,鈥� Arnold said.

But building a prototype has been costly 鈥� totaling around $10,000. Meanwhile, Babb anticipates the chair won鈥檛 be considered a medical device, which means it wouldn鈥檛 be covered by health insurance. Instead, they鈥檙e pitching the idea to tourism companies that lead adventure trips for people with disabilities.

This fall the team competed for startup funding against outdoor gear companies from all over the Pacific Northwest at the Outdoor Worx competition in Bend. It鈥檚 a "Shark Tank" style contest for entrepreneurs, with a $5,000 prize for early-phase companies like AdvenChair. Babb had seven minutes to pitch the audience.

鈥淭his project is bigger than us, bigger than the team and the community that supports us,鈥� he said, then closed by listing people he鈥檚 shared the chair with so far.

One was in the audience. Michelle Pearson had a stroke four years ago.

鈥淭he regular wheelchairs that you get are not designed to be outdoors,鈥� she said, describing how her chair broke just getting out the front door.

Last year, a trip in the AdvenChair was her first time on a trail since she became disabled.

鈥淚t was just a great day. It felt really good to get out there. And not just your yard, and not just your street, not just driving around your car looking out the windows."

She hasn鈥檛 been on a hike since.

When the results of the startup competition came in, she was in the back of the auditorium, cheering hard.

Babb鈥檚 team sent him up the stairs to collect the $5,000 check. The win has boosted a project shaped by extreme setbacks, but there鈥檚 still a ways to go.

Babb is applying for a patent and this spring the team has plans to go back to the Grand Canyon and test the mettle of their latest design.