Aaron Fotheringham was born on November 8, 1991 in Las Vegas. Apparently, this is not the happiest day in history, since the boy was born with a congenital disease – spina bifida.
This is a complex incurable defect in the development of the spine and spinal cord, which affects the neuromuscular and musculoskeletal systems. The disease manifests itself in early childhood. Sometimes patients can maintain motor functions with the help of corsets, but in more severe cases they are forced to move in a wheelchair.
Aaron was brought up in a foster family, where, in addition to him, there were six other children. Despite the almost complete immobility of his legs, he grew and developed, keeping up with healthy peers. First I learned to crawl on my hands and stomach, then I mastered crutches, and, like all 4-year-old boys, I ran headlong on them. At the age of 8, Aaron had to sit in a wheelchair, but this was not the end, but the beginning of his adventures.
At this time, the boy often went with his older brother Brian to the skatepark to see how the BMXers and skaters do various crazy things on their bikes and boards. One day Brian told Aaron that he, too, should try to do some trick on his four wheels.
Aaron tried it. But he fell. Then he got up and tried again. And again and again… When he finally succeeded, he was forever hooked on extreme sports.
After the first successful trick, Aaron literally registered in the skatepark. Day after day, he honed complex BMX and skate techniques - slalom, grinds, slides and others, and also came up with his own amazing tricks. In addition, the guy improved his standard stroller to make it lighter, more stable and more maneuverable.
As a result, at the age of 14, Aaron was already doing a 180-degree turn in the air and won several BMX freestyle competitions. In 2006, he performed the world's first backflip in a wheelchair, and four years later "broke" the world rankings by doing a double backflip. Look how it was.
In 2010, crazy Wheelz (which is exactly the name Aaron got in extreme circles) was invited to participate in the legendary show Nitro Circus, with which he went on a world tour. Wheelz, along with other athletes, showed grandiose stunts and assembled stadiums in Australia, New Zealand, Europe and America. At the same time, he did not stop setting records, for example, in New Zealand he made the first front-flip (somersault in the air forward), and in Brazil – the famous 15-meter jump.
Aaron proved that, no matter what, he was born lucky. He is a star of extreme sports, he is known and respected by athletes all over the world. He is a frequent guest on radio and TV. So, in 2008, Aaron participated in one of the American reality shows and received a grant from the founder of Century Software; and in 2009, he was an understudy for Kevin McHale in the TV series "Glee". Fotheringham has hundreds of fans who admire his courage and bravery. And his family, especially Kaylin's mom, is proud of his son's achievements.
In addition, Aaron leads an active social life – he meets with other disabled people to show them that their life can be full of adrenaline.
But most importantly, Wheelz does not give up training. He does not allow himself any excuses , because he can achieve even more. Just sitting is safe, but deadly boring.
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