The roar of wheelchairs on polished concrete. New tech that solves old problems. Strangers who feel like friends in under five minutes. From the floor of Abilities Expo Dallas, we sit down with Kristina Rhoades—exhibitor liaison, long-time attendee, and lifelong wheelchair user—to explore how a single weekend can recharge purpose, expand access, and remind you you’re not alone.

We dig into what makes Abilities Expo a keystone for the disability community: forty-plus years of consistent presence, seven U.S. cities, and a living marketplace of adaptive gear, services, and ideas. Kristina shares her path from an injury at ten months old to building a life filled with love, work she cares about, and a tight-knit creative town in New Mexico. Her perspective cuts through pity narratives and lands on agency: happiness is a choice we make daily, even when the past keeps knocking.

We also trace our own journey—from a military-track car accident to a first Expo visit in 2018, then a leap of faith in 2021 to host a booth that grew our community from 8.8k to 90k. The throughline is simple: proximity accelerates progress. Being in the room—or the aisle—puts you in reach of mentors, better equipment, travel hacks, and friendships that lift your ceiling. We swap plans for Chicago and Long Beach, talk hometown dreams, and balance heavy truths with humor, because resilience is both muscle and music.

If you’re navigating disability, caregiving, or allyship, this conversation offers practical insight and emotional oxygen. You’ll hear why events like Abilities Expo aren’t just showcases; they’re engines of momentum where stories and solutions meet. Tap play, share it with someone who needs a boost, and leave a review so more people can find this show. And if you’re headed to a future Expo, come say hi—we’ll be the ones chasing connection and cheering for your next chapter.

Think life after injury means pressing pause? Rick Brauer would like a word. From the floor of the Abilities Expo in Dallas, we sit down with the “original test dummy” of Rise Adaptive Sports to unpack how free access to adaptive equipment—and a culture that celebrates trying—can flip isolation into momentum. Rick has spent years pushing hand cycles and court chairs to their limits so newcomers don’t have to, translating hard-won lessons into safer, smarter pathways back to play.

We trace Rise’s origins from a friend’s promise to help a Vietnam veteran, through the 2007 launch of community programs built on grants, donated spaces, and zero participant fees. Rick explains why the free model isn’t charity; it’s strategy. When a hand cycle can cost thousands, a gear library becomes a gateway to discovery. Players can dial in the right fit, test different sports, and build confidence without gambling savings. That approach feeds a vibrant scene around quad rugby every Friday night at the Georgia Farrow Recreation Center in Irving, where the city opens the gym, Rise brings the chairs, and the community brings the energy. Expect contact, laughter, and the kind of resilience you only learn on the floor.

Looking forward, Rick shares a bold vision: a dedicated adaptive sports complex that anchors quad rugby, wheelchair basketball, and wheelchair football under one roof. No more fighting for gym time, no more scattered gear, just consistent access and a visible home for anyone ready to move again. Along the way, we talk about the deeper impact—parents easing their grip as they watch kids thrive, newly injured adults replacing dread with goals, and the power of gratitude to keep the mission grounded. If you care about adaptive sports, inclusive communities, or what it takes to rebuild identity after a life-changing event, you’ll find something here to carry with you.

If this conversation moves you, tap follow, share it with a friend who needs a spark, and leave a quick review to help more people find the show. Your support helps keep the doors to play wide open.

Wayne shares how a 30-foot fall in 1968 led to a complete T4 injury and a lifetime of deliberate choices that protect health, fuel independence, and challenge assumptions about longevity. We cover pressure wound prevention, early rehab tradeoffs, accessibility wins, and why honest questions build better culture.

• origin story and the electrocution fall
• zero-pressure-sore strategy built on routine and nutrition
• shear risk in cars and clothing fit pitfalls
• rehab in 1968 and choosing the wheelchair over braces
• ADA shifts from curb cuts to inclusive design
• longevity myths vs lived reality
• sports, shoulder injuries, and replacements that worked
• people-first language and welcoming curiosity
• closing reflection on living life to the max

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