Editor’s Note: No one goes through life without problems. However, living life isn’t about the problems you have, but rather what you can do to solve those problems. Once you look around and see the difficulties other people are facing, you’ll recognize that the things you’re dealing with aren’t nearly as important or as tough as problems other people have. But another key part of having a great life is seeing and learning how others have dealt with their physical challenges, overcame them and used those challenges for the betterment of mankind. This is the story of Karim Ladki of Vancouver, Canada, the founder and owner of 9Lives Adventures, Inc., who has decided to give everyone the adventures they seek, regardless of their physical concerns. Part 2 of a 5-part series.
Oftentimes we’re asked, “Are the sports you offer purely for adrenaline junkies?” I say that there’s no such thing as an adrenaline junkie. People who participate in high adventure sports are looking for those pure moments in life that makes them feel the most alive. Our activities are for people who want to push the limits of what they can or can’t do. 9Lives Adventures offers a wide range of activities, including skydiving or bungee jumping as well as the sports that are still full of adventure but not that extreme.
Wind tunnel flying is an adventure that’s not extreme. People in wheelchairs or with any type of disability can do this. They float on a stream of air in a controlled environment and feel all of the excitement and thrill of skydiving, without actually having to get in an airplane and jump out. Or, they can ride a jetboat, a high performance boat with a jet engine that runs fast down rivers and navigates rapids and small waterfalls.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkJMnKN-OCI]
One of the trademarks of 9Lives Adventures is we customize every activity to meet the needs and wants of the individual or the group. For instance, we have wheelchair basketball teams who will get together and decide what type of adventure they all want. Then they’ll come as a group and participate in these activities. Currently we have 15 types of activities that people can participate in during the summer months.
We have a playground here in British Columbia, and we can tailor make sports and activities for almost anyone. Even in the winter, we offer snowmobiling, sit-skiing workshops, bungee jumping and wind tunnel flying.
We want to demonstrate to individuals with physical challenges that they can do almost anything that any able bodied person can do with a little bit of modification and some extra help. We’ve found that identified groups like paralympic teams and wheelchair basketball teams find that these high adventure sports go a long way toward team building. Many people like to participate in sports like these with other individuals who have similar handicaps to their own. We design activities for individuals as well as teams.
The best way to learn about what kind of activities you can or want to participate in is to begin an email dialogue with us. There’s other individuals in our company who can talk to people about specific things in which they may be interested. After the initial contact, you can begin to talk with the instructors and guides who will be with you on whatever adventures you may choose.
The best way to get in touch with us is through the 9Lives Adventures, Inc.’s webpage. Please feel free to contact Karim as well.
Next: Explorers in a New World of Extreme Adventures with Karim Ladki of 9Lives Adventures
About the Author: For the last 12 years, John E. Phillips of Vestavia, Alabama, has been a professional blogger for major companies, corporations and tourism associations throughout the nation. During his 24 years as Outdoor Editor for “The Birmingham Post-Herald” newspaper, he published more than 7,000 newspaper columns and sold more than 100,000 of his photos to newspapers, magazines and internet sites. He also hosted a radio show that was syndicated at 27 radio stations; created, wrote and sold a syndicated newspaper column that ran in 38 newspapers for more than a decade; and wrote and sold more than 30 books. Learn more at http://www.nighthawkpublications.com





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