By: Carmela Mayeski Carmela advocates for the improved accessibility of outdoor spaces in Massachusetts and beyond. Read the below writeup from Carmela, an educator from Massachusetts who spearheaded the trial and purchase of GRIT Freedom Chairs for her town. This piece is part of a longer essay. Carmela Mayeski is an educator in Massachusetts who has worked hard to improve outdoor access for her students. Below, Carmela writes about how “Equal access is not a matter of convenience, but a matter of basic human rights.” Spending time outdoors is an amazing experience, affording us the opportuni ..read more

As the creators of the GRIT Freedom Chair, we feel strongly that a lack of money shouldn’t prevent anyone from being able to live life beyond the pavement and enjoy the freedom of outdoor mobility.  We’ve already created this list with some helpful suggestions for financial assistance, but we want to do more to help. Read on for a list of Financial Loan Programs organized by state. Alabama Alabama Ability Loan Program “Alabama’s Alternative Finance Program (The Ability Loan Program) for individuals with disabilities and their families allows applicants to borrow money at low-interest and ..read more

Many of our riders are excited to hit the trails when they receive their GRIT Freedom Chair, but did you know we have several riders who purchased the all-terrain wheelchair for cruising the high seas? We’ve had lots of people ask about the functionality of the Freedom Chair on a cruise ship, mostly because some cruises were built before the ADA acts, and in fact, “while all cruise ships (even foreign-flagged ones) sailing in US waters should be compliant with the US Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), there aren’t standards specifically addressing cruise ships, which means that some lines ..read more

By Jeanine Schmitz  Jenny lives in Seattle because of its unique offering of mountains, water, culture, and cool weather. She spends as much time as possible enjoying the outdoors. Her passion is travel, which has become a multi-adventure experience since her MS required a transition into a wheelchair. Many many years ago, in college, I spent a memorable summer in Monterey, CA, studying Russian at the language institute.  Classes all morning and homework in the evenings left several hours each afternoon where I was free to explore the peninsula and watch the otters.  In th ..read more

JANUARY 17, 2024 BEYOND THE PAVEMENT By: Nerissa Dawn Cannon Editor’s Note: GRIT is proud to bring you original content written by our Trailblazers.  Nerissa has been active for as long as she can remember, but her diagnosis of Spinal Arthritis and Fibromyalgia forced her to be more creative in her outdoor activities. She started her own Etsy store, as well as a pet training and walking business in her rural area of Colorado. When someone who has lived an active lifestyle suffers a debilitating illness or injury, there can be a learning curve to adapting to their new life. Sometimes the ..read more

By Jeanine Schmitz  Jenny lives in Seattle because of its unique offering of mountains, water, culture, and cool weather. She spends as much time as possible enjoying the outdoors. Her passion is travel, which has become a multi-adventure experience since her MS required a transition into a wheelchair. Many many years ago, in college, I spent a memorable summer in Monterey, CA, studying Russian at the language institute.  Classes all morning and homework in the evenings left several hours each afternoon where I was free to explore the peninsula and watch the otters.  In th ..read more

by: Nerissa Cannon Nerissa’s journey with chronic illness has made her passionate about helping other people get the most out of life in spite of a disabling condition. In her new series, “It’s a GRIT Life,” she shares how the GRIT Freedom Chair helps her engage in her favorite activities and live a life of adventure. Click the above video to watch Nerissa demonstrate the techniques she discusses in this article. The GRIT Freedom Chair is synonymous with off road mobility, hence its catchphrase “Move Beyond the Pavement.” However, the Freedom Chair is also the most versatile, all-terrai ..read more

JANUARY 11TH, 2024 BEYOND THE PAVEMENT by: Nerissa Dawn Cannon Nerissa is one of GRIT’s original Trailblazers! Her journey with chronic illness has made her very passionate about helping other people get the most out of life despite a disabling condition. ***Editor’s Note: Since the initial posting of this article, the Trailblazer Program has been replaced with our Ambassador Program. Email support@gogrit.us for more details. For other funding options please visit our Financing Page.*** Gettin’ Muddy! When I started experiencing progressive and debilitating physical symptoms around the time ..read more

DECEMBER 18, 2017 BEYOND THE PAVEMENT by: Nerissa Cannon Nerissa is one of the original GRIT Freedom Chair Trailblazers! Her journey with chronic illness has made her very passionate about helping other people get the most out of life despite a disabling condition. My first time sitting in my Freedom Chair after I got it assembled! I received my GRIT Freedom Chair on April 8, 2016. It’s interesting looking back on the time that’s passed since then. These days I share videos and stories about my incredible adventures, but it hasn’t been an easy journey to get to this point. Folks look at my s ..read more

BEYOND THE PAVEMENT JANUARY 3, 2024 Nerissa is one of the original GRIT Freedom Chair Trailblazers. Her journey with chronic illness has made her very passionate about helping other people get the most out of life despite a disabling condition. What is that old saying? “You can’t choose what happens to you, but you can choose how you react to it.” I didn’t choose to get sick. I didn’t choose to experience chronic pain, widespread inflammation, motor control difficulties, and more. I didn’t choose any of that, but I choose to use a wheelchair. Yes, you read that correctly. Technically, most ev ..read more