ACCESS ADVENTURE VOLUNTEER

I became a volunteer for Access Adventure through my granddaughter Vera Aitemon, who has cerebral palsy and lives in a wheelchair. She phoned me one day and told me of this man who was giving horsedrawn wheelchair accessible carriage rides to physically challenged people. She was Access Adventure’s first rider, and to put it mildly she was thrilled. I could also tell from her voice that the experience had given her more of what life has to offer.

I met Michael, loved his vision, asked if I could take video and photos of Access Adventure events, was given permission and the rest is history. My involvement is more than enjoyable. It’s fulfilling because I see the joy it brings to everyone involved.

I was born in St. Louis, MO, moved to San Francisco at the age of 11 and have been here ever since. I have four adult children and nine grandchildren. I am a disk jockey and martial arts teacher having won numerous karate championships including a Gold Medal on the USA Karate "A" team at the Pan American Championships in Rio de Janiero, Brazil. I played the role of James Caan’s karate teacher in the feature film "The Killer Elite", appeared in numerous television programs including a PBS production of Ralph Ellison’s "King of the Bingo Game" and produced my own television program titled "Enterviews."

Learn more about Johnnie’s injury prevention and self-protection program at www.selfprotectiontaishe.com

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