ACCESS ADVENTURE DIRECTOR

Michael founded Access Adventure in 2005, after retiring as President of United States Driving for the Disabled, Inc. A lifelong horseman born in Dixon, CA in 1952, Michael has lived with Multiple Sclerosis for more than forty years. When he could no longer ride, he taught himself to drive the horses. Michael commented, "Even though I can’t ride anymore…when I put the reins in my hands, we start that great communication between man and horse. It’s the dance of life and I’m in it." Refusing to be daunted by the relentless course of his disease, Michael credits his life with horses and the ability to enjoy nature with keeping him active and strong. In 2001, he led an international group of horsemen and women with disabilities on a remarkable 3,000 mile, ten month Journey Across America, driving wheelchair accessible horsedrawn carriages from the Mission San Diego in California all the way to Washington, DC. In 2003 he and Cindy Goff, a paraplegic horsewoman from Kentucky drove a carriage, powered by Michael’s horse Domino, from Indiana to the Gulf of Mexico along the same route John Muir traveled in 1867.

Michael says, "We have shown that people with disabilities can accomplish amazing things. We still want to be active participants in everything life has to offer. The horses of Access Adventure, combined with innovative adaptive equipment are the links that carry us back into a close relationship with nature and wild places. Nature is healing. Demonstrating to others that life can still be full and rich and exciting after a catastrophic illness or accident gives people hope, and the value of hope is priceless.

My great-grandfather was America’s visionary conservationist John Muir. He is known as the Father of our National Parks and founded the Sierra Club. His passion for nature inspired the world to enjoy, explore and protect wild places. John Muir instilled in his family a great love of the wilderness and he inspires me today to share the glories of nature with people living with mobility challenges. We are blazing a new trail into the wilderness…opening a path to be traveled by people with disabilities."