GoHawkeye Athlete Matthew Brewer

The highlight of my experiences with my grit chair has definitely been our visit to Zion Canyon National Park.

By Matthew Brewer

Since receiving this Grit Freedom Chair I was excited to return to Jackson Hole Wyoming but COVID prevented that Teton vacation for 2020. However, I’ve been able to experience some of the natural beauties that Utah has to offer such as trails with our dogs in the Millcreek Canyon , beach days at Jordanelle Reservoir where it provided me access on the rocky beach for paddling, and I took a roll around Mirror Lake in the high Uintah Mountains. I’ve also enjoyed the things like being able to taking a quick roll around Liberty Park when my lady wants to go for a jog. I really enjoy having a supportive partner to get out and enjoy nature with- and being able to access more places with Wendy, has opened up more opportunities for us both to challenge our limits and see new places together.

We were able to make it my family’s our yearly surf camp out at San Elijo state beach in So Cal. I used my chair almost exclusively that week due to the terrain at the camp site. I was able to make the trek up the steep hill to get coffee in the mornings with family where previously I would have had to drive a car due as the extreme incline is very challenging in my prosthetics. I got to check out the down hill capabilities of the Freedom Chair on that trip. Woohoo!

The highlight of my experiences with my grit chair has definitely been our visit to Zion Canyon National Park. I was able to use my America the Beautiful Access Pass for entry. We assembled the chair from the trunk of my Subaru WRX and hit the trail-The Temple of Sinawava where we experienced breathtaking views of red rock canyon walls jutting straight up from the river bed. This is a hilly trail with rocks and would have been challenging with a typical wheel chair or my prostheses. But In my Grit Chair I was able to be fully independent and keep up a swift pace with other hikers and trail runners, and see views along the entire trail rather than just a short portion.

Wendy and I look forward to more road trips to experience adventures to our National and State Parks this spring and summer ! Check out @6packbrew to follow our 2021 outdoor adventures!