Sip-and-puff powerchair user Ian Mackay and his Ian’s Ride crew rode the 475-mile Great American Rail-Trail from Washington, D.C., to Columbus, Ohio. Their journey began on Sept. 21 and finished on Oct. 3.
“We made one final turn onto a nice path that rolls along the Scioto River into the heart of downtown,” wrote Mackay in his last blog entry for this Ian’s Ride. Near the end, they were joined by Jenny Border, a Northwest Ohio United Spinal chapter member, who accompanied them for the last mile in Columbus.
“After crossing the finish line, we were able to celebrate and just breathe,” wrote Mackay. “There were a lot of people that rode with us today, and it was nice to get a chance to talk to them and look them in the eye,” as sometimes riding on the trail makes it difficult to see everyone participating.
Mackay is a board member of the Washington State United chapter Here and Now Project. He focused this East Coast ride on improving our nation’s accessible outdoor infrastructure.
The Journey Began in Washington, D.C.
Mackay and his Ian’s Ride crew embarked on their journey from our nation’s capitol on Sept. 21. Representatives from Great American Rail-Trail and United Spinal, including board member Monica Wiley, were there to cheer him on.
“To be received by such a lovely gathering of people 3,000 miles away from home was truly mind-blowing and immensely gratifying,” wrote MacKay. “After I spoke, Monica Wiley graciously stepped up to the microphone, provided background information regarding her spinal injury and spoke of how she came to be the D.C. Chapter Advocacy Coordinator of United Spinal. She was only 8 years old when she was severely injured in a drunk driving accident that tragically killed the rest of her family members. She touched upon how she rose from this hardship to promote greater infrastructural accessibility, better equipment and more community support for people facing spinal injuries.”
Advocacy by Invitation
Throughout this ride, Mackay connected with many journalists, outdoor recreation councils, and fellow United Spinal Association members. On Day 9, he met up with Pittsburgh’s United Spinal Association chapter members Rebecca MacTaggart and Jared Quinteros. In his blog post for that day, he called MacTaggart the lightening rod that brought people together.
“Rebecca was at the trailhead when we rolled up, along with Karen Mansfield, a reporter from the Washington Observer-Reporter, and Phillip Torrez, vice-president of the Montour Trail Council,” wrote Mackay. Because of MacTaggart’s invite, both Mansfield and Torrez experienced first-hand why improving out door access is vital. Mansfield wrote an article about Ian’s Ride and Torrez expressed a greater awareness of terrain accessibility, trail crossing safety, accessible parking, and availability of accessible restrooms. He says he was happy to participate and sees that “we could do better.”
“While we were preparing to hit the trail, Jared Quinteros arrived to join the party. He sustained a spinal injury in a tragic accident in which he also lost his beloved wife. A tree branch crashed down onto them while they were hiking in June 2021. We were all touched by his story and were happy to have him along with us,” wrote Mackay. “I thanked him for making it so that I wasn’t the only one in a wheelchair out there on the Montour.”
Rolling Into Columbus
On October 3, Ian’s Ride rolled into Columbus and their journey came to an end.
“In total, we rode over 440 miles,” wrote Mackay. “We encountered just about every terrain we could think of. From the first day to the last we experienced a temperature range of nearly 50 degrees. We had a number of days of rain. All along the way we were intrigued by the history we were riding through. We are thankful for everyone we met along the way, and all the beauty we were able to see. It’s amazing what can be accomplished when you have the support I have, and when you get outside.”
If accessible outdoor infrastructure is important to you, join the Advocacy and Policy Team’s Outdoor Access Working Group by reaching out to Annie Streit or Steve Lieberman. Join our United community by signing up for a free membership. To support our mission, donate here.
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