Introducing Bob Wassom
“We don’t stop playing because we get old. We get old because we stop playing.” -George Bernard Shaw
A familiar quote? Yes, but so true. The good news is that we don’t have to stop playing. We live in the middle of one of Mother Nature’s best, and most accessible year-round playgrounds. We just need to get out there and play. That is the ongoing theme of this blog. Yes, working out at the gym, doing yoga indoors, swimming, spinning…it’s all good and important. But to be truly whole, inspired, healthy and have fun at the same time, for me, outdoor recreation is the epitome. It’s because at one point, I thought my outdoor days were over. I broke my neck while a student at Utah State University and was paralyzed from the neck down. I remember laying in my hospital room looking out the window at Logan Peak in the Bear River Mountains wondering if I’d ever set foot on a mountain again, experience the utter euphoria of first tracks down a snow covered slope or feel the exhilarating chill of an early morning bike ride. But I was fortunate. I had not severed the spinal cord, just damaged it. I was able to regain the use of my arms and legs and get back to skiing and cycling, though at a much-reduced level of performance. No matter, I was out there. I still am, though age has me using adaptive equipment because I’m losing strength and balance. Today, I’m skiing with a ski-bike and cycling with an electric trike—and having just as much fun as ever. The message here is that we can all stay active, stay healthy and have fun outdoors regardless of our physical capabilities. Follow along with me as we discover where and how to take advantage of the accessible natural playground that surrounds us.