Another New Bowling Record for Wheelchair Users Driving by Head Array

Mike Murach has upped the record he set in February, and I have a feeling he is not done! (Big smile)

For now, the bowling record for a wheelchair user driving by head array is 182. You can see his scoresheet and learn more here:

http://wheelchairbowlingrecords.com/Mike_Murach_record_182.htm

Mike is paralyzed from his shoulders down roughly, and specific movements of his head are what allow him to control his wheelchair. Adding the IKAN Bowler® to his chair allows him to bowl.

This just helps to illustrate the fact that it does not matter what one's reason for wheelchair use is (SCI, MD, CP, ALS, etc.) or the method by which the user controls his or her wheelchair (head array, joystick, chin control, sip-and-puff, etc.) bowling is still a sport or recreational activity that essentially all wheelchair users can enjoy and compete at.

Good bowling Mike – keep it up! :-)

Bill

William A. Miller, BSBA, ME
C1-2 Quadriplegic with a 255 High Bowling Game
Co-founder of Manufacturing Genuine Thrills Inc. d/b/a MGT
Business website: http://www.ikanbowler.com
Personal website: http://www.lookmomnohands.net
 

New MD and Overall World Records for Dynamic Wheelchair Bowling!

Timo Toivonen: 257. That ridiculously good bowling score is now the top overall score in the world for a dynamic wheelchair bowler, and also ups the record for a male with muscular dystrophy.

Dynamic just means it incorporates the movement of the wheelchair, and is not stationary ramp bowling.

And for people who know me well, or are keeping track of such bowling records, yes, Timo broke my record of 255. But I know how difficult it is to bowl that well, so I "tip my cap" and offer sincere congratulations to Timo.

The details are here.

Bill Miller :-)
C1-2 Quadriplegic with a 255 High Bowling Game
Co-founder of Manufacturing Genuine Thrills Inc. d/b/a MGT
Business website: http://www.ikanbowler.com
Personal website: http://www.lookmomnohands.net

Wheelchair Bowling Records

In 2009, I started a wheelchair bowling records website to share the bowling achievements of different types of wheelchair users, and also to share some of what is possible for people, despite certain physical conditions.

The focus of the website is on “dynamic-style” wheelchair bowling, i.e. bowling which incorporates the movement of the wheelchair and mimics the able-bodied bowling process. Like able-bodied bowlers, wheelchair users can set up, and then physically approach and release the ball while stopping short of the foul line. That is exactly what the IKAN (“I can”) Bowler® allows wheelchair users to do. And because it mimics the able-bodied bowling process, the United States Bowling Congress (USBC) sanctioned the IKAN Bowler® for league and tournament play – bowling with and/or against able-bodied bowlers or fellow IKAN users.

We developed the IKAN Bowler® to attach to almost any wheelchair, thus enabling people who can safely control their chairs to be able to bowl. For example, I am paralyzed from the neck down and ventilator dependent, and I have literally bowled two dozen games of 200 or better – and I drive my wheelchair with my mouth, using a sip-and-puff system.

Cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, and spinal cord injury are three types of conditions which can result in the need for an electric/power wheelchair, and the IKAN Bowler® can enable us to bowl on a “level playing field” with the rest of the world. People with these types of conditions are featured on the records website, and records are also shown for different methods of operating a wheelchair (joystick, chin control, head array control, sip-and-puff, etc.).

Here is the website: WheelchairBowlingRecords.com

What about other wheelchair bowling styles and records?

For decades, I would think, manual wheelchair users who still have the upper body and grip strength have been able to “park” their wheelchair in front of the foul line, lean over and toss their bowling ball down the lane. Shawn Beam and George Holscher are two men who have bowled perfect 300 games doing so. But many people require electric/power wheelchairs for mobility, and do not have the physical ability to use their arms and swing a bowling ball.

Stationary ramps can be fun for people who have enough physical ability to aim the ramp, position the ball (how the ball is positioned on either a stationary ramp or IKAN Bowler® determines the shape of the shot), and push it down the ramp. But high-level quadriplegics, like me, and people in similar conditions cannot do that.

The IKAN Bowler® is a precision-engineered ramp which attaches to its users wheelchair. After a caddie positions the ball how we want it for the shot, the wheelchair user is in control and empowered to bowl and have fun in a physical way. Not many sports and recreational opportunities exist for people who are so physically limited. A major bonus is that it is sanctioned by the USBC, allowing for genuine competition, and increasing the thrill potential for those who like to compete.

The thrill of doing something formerly not thought possible (e.g. a quadriplegic bowling a legitimate strike) and also the thrill of competition (trying to beat someone else or achieve a certain score) those are genuine thrills. And that is why our company is named Manufacturing Genuine Thrills, because that’s what we do by providing the IKAN Bowler®. :-)

I just wanted to share about the records website, and why I developed it.

Bill Miller :-)
C1-2 Quadriplegic with a 255 High Bowling Game
Co-founder of Manufacturing Genuine Thrills Inc. d/b/a MGT
Business website: http://www.ikanbowler.com
Personal website: http://www.lookmomnohands.net

New Bowling Record for Males with Muscular Dystrophy

Timo Toivonen, a 25-year-old man with spinal muscular atrophy (a form of muscular dystrophy), has upped the mark for males with MD by bowling a very impressive 227. His game included eight strikes and four spares, and if you add that up, you can tell he had no open frames (and had three marks in the 10th frame).

For all the details, check out:

http://www.wheelchairbowlingrecords.com/Timo_Toivonen_227.htm

Congratulations Timo! :-)

Bill Miller :-)
C1-2 Quadriplegic with a 255 High Bowling Game
Co-founder of Manufacturing Genuine Thrills Inc. d/b/a MGT
Business website: http://www.ikanbowler.com
Personal website: http://www.lookmomnohands.net
 

IKAN User Profile: Jeff Parker, Florida

My buddy, and fellow Central Florida Quad Squad Bowler, Jeff Parker is this month's profile. Bowling wise, Jeff sets the pace for bowlers with Muscular Dystrophy; his high score (mentioned with his below profile) is the current record for bowlers with MD. Jeff has a zest for life; he loves having fun and loves watching NASCAR (his favorite driver is Tony Stewart). A while back, Jeff said that bowling with the IKAN Bowler "is an absolute blast, the most fun I’ve had in a long time." And it really didn't surprise me when he added a touch of NASCAR/Tony Stewart to his IKAN Bowler, by having some friends paint a special black finish with orange, razor-edged flames on the sides his IKAN Bowler! :-)

Here's Jeff's profile, and pictures are below...

~~~~~

Name: Jeff Parker
Age: 37
Location: Lady Lake, FL
Reason for Wheelchair Use: Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
Onset or Injury Date: I was diagnosed in 1975 and have been in a wheelchair for 25 years.
Wheelchair Operation Method: Joystick operated
High Bowling Score: 172
Approximate Bowling Average: 135
Typical Range of Scores: 100-150
Bowling Frequency: Generally once a month when our Central Florida Quad Squad bowls at Spanish Springs Lanes in The Villages, but I do occasionally go to Classique Lanes when Quad Squad bowling is there in Tavares. [Ok, Bill here interjecting this comment... what readers don't know is Jeff likes to talk some trash when he's bowling, so I'm going to throw some back here: "Come on Jeff, Spanish Springs is 5 minutes from your house -- you gotta bowl more often if you're gonna beat me more than once in a blue moon at Quad Squad outings!!!" :-)]
Bowling Ball(s): Columbia White Dot but I’m looking for a new one.
Quote from Jeff: "Life is too short; live each day to the fullest!"

~~~~~

Thanks for sharing and being a good sport Jeff! :-)

Click HERE for two videos and a slideshow of two Quad Squad outings (before Jeff got his flames on his Bowler) and here's the pictures of his new paint job...

The Quad Squad...

The Quad Squad refers to a group of friends with varying levels and types of quadriplegia (a quadriplegic is broadly defined as someone with impairment in all four limbs and can result from spinal cord injury, muscular dystrophy, cerebral palsy, and other conditions).

We have a Central Florida Quad Squad group that goes bowling regularly. Quad Squad member Rhonda Reese, a C4-5 quadriplegic since August of 1991, came up with our name. We usually bowl on the second and fourth Saturday of each month, from roughly 4-6 p.m. at a Central Florida bowling alley. We typically bowl at Classique Lanes in Tavares on the second Saturday of the month, and at Spanish Springs Lanes in The Villages on the fourth Saturday. Anyone who wants to watch or try power wheelchair bowling with an IKAN Bowler is more than welcome to join us. Please e-mail me (MaxNWM@aol.com) in advance to verify that we are on for bowling at our usual time and place, and if you want to try it, so we can make sure to have an extra IKAN Bowler available.

Any group of quadriplegic friends can use the Quad Squad name; it's not trademarked or anything, so people in a certain geographic area can feel free to use it, e.g. Phoenix Quad Squad, Chicago Quad Squad, etc.

If you're local to Central Florida, think you might visit, or just want to know what we're doing, I'd be happy to put you on my Quad Squad e-mail list, to which I send updates and verification of when and where we're bowling. I'm not the overall record holder, that honor belongs to Jon Musgrave with an amazing 243, but I'm a pretty good bowler and have had five games over 200 (three 201s and two 202s). So... to help keep my "ego in check" per my Dad:-) he has offered $20 to any IKAN User who beats my best score of the afternoon. To further encourage competition, he also pays for our bowling. So come on out and we'll have some FUN! :-)

Click HERE (or scroll way down) for Two Videos and a Slideshow depicting Quad Squad outings!

Click HERE (or scroll down) for Five Things to Know about Power Wheelchair Bowling!

Sincerely,

Bill Miller :-)
C1-2 Quadriplegic with a 202 High Bowling Game
Co-founder of Manufacturing Genuine Thrills Inc. d/b/a MGT
Business website: http://www.ikanbowler.com/
Personal website: http://www.lookmomnohands.net/

Introduction -- emPOWERing Wheelchair Users! :-)

Welcome to my blog! :-)

I'll cut to the chase -- this blog will illuminate how power wheelchair users are getting back in the game of life.

I'm one such power wheelchair user.

My name is Bill Miller; I'm a ventilator-dependent quadriplegic due to a spinal cord injury incurred August 23rd, 1997. I'm diagnosed as a C1-2 (complete) quadriplegic -- and I have a legitimate 202 high bowling game.

Several years ago, I wanted to get back in the game of life, but there really was no way, no sport or recreational endeavor that I could actively participate in. But I can operate my power wheelchair independently (with my mouth) via what's called a sip-and-puff system (I'm paralyzed from the neck down). My Stepmom saw how well I could drive my wheelchair, and absolutely knew there must be some way that I could bowl, using my chair.

She eventually got me together with a retired engineer named Claude Giguere (pronounced: G-gair). The two of us got together and invented a really cool way for me to bowl, and if someone who is completely paralyzed from the neck down (like me) can bowl -- shouldn't virtually any wheelchair user also be able to bowl?

That idea -- and the genuine desire to improve the quality of life for people whose bodies require them to use power wheelchairs -- is now embodied in a company called Manufacturing Genuine Thrills, Inc. doing business as MGT (for short). That first strike is a genuine thrill. The name for the bowling device comes from a Greek word, ikano, meaning enable. What enables me and can enable virtually all power wheelchair users to bowl is the IKAN Bowler®.

Wheelchair users: IKAN? Yes You Can! :-)

When developing the IKAN Bowler (which really started back in 2003) another sport for power wheelchair users was starting to blossom -- power soccer -- which is already pretty popular. But after doing some research, we learned from power soccer players that the only commercial soccer guard (a 3-sided shield that protects the user's legs and enables him or her to push an extra-large soccer ball) available, that using it occasionally resulted in damage to their wheelchairs (it used a single clamp to attach the guard to one of the user's legrests, and while there aren't supposed to be any collisions playing power soccer, if one did occur, sometimes the legrest would break off from the wheelchair).

In developing the IKAN Bowler, by far the most challenging aspect was developing an easy, quality mounting system that could fit multiple styles of wheelchair. We developed (and have a patent pending on) a Universal Mount that will work on every wheelchair with two side legrests (not power-elevating legrests, users with those can get a set of standard legrests to use for bowling/soccer; we also have a mount that accommodates chairs with the new center-post style legrests). So we developed the IKAN Soccer Guard to work with our Universal Mount (it also works with the center-post mount). The quality two-clamp system is able to withstand any reasonable collision. We repeatedly rammed a brick wall with the IKAN Soccer Guard and Universal Mount attached to a manual wheelchair (used for testing purposes) and we couldn't break the guard or the legrests. True story. (The center-post style is even more crash resistant.)

The beauty of our mounts is that with the IKAN Bowler attachment and the IKAN Soccer Guard attachment, people can do two sports (not at the same time, of course:). We're quite proud to be able to offer the ability to play two sports to people with significant physical disabilities that require the use of power wheelchairs -- including people with Cerebral Palsy, Muscular Dystrophy, Spina Bifida, Spinal Cord Injuries, Quadriplegia, Multiple Sclerosis and more.

Medical experts and IKAN Users have said using our products is fun, social, therapeutic, competitive, and recreational.

The world record holder for bowling by a quadriplegic is Jon Musgrave, a C4-5 quad due to a spinal cord injury in 1991. Jon bowls anywhere from 3-5 days a week, and bowled an amazing 243. He said: "Who could have thought that one thing could change a person's life so much. I have something that I'm good at to look forward to enjoying every day; something I can share with my family and fiends. I can tell you this for sure, my life has not been the same since I got my IKAN Bowler®."

That's how we're getting power wheelchair users back in the game of life.

With this blog, I plan to tell you more about Jon, and others like Jon. I want to profile people who think life is better with the IKAN Bowler. I'll bring some IKAN Soccer Guard news here also, but our primary product is the IKAN Bowler. There is no other assistive bowling device that enables users to mimic the able-bodied bowling process, i.e. setup, begin the approach and release the ball upon reaching the foul line.

The IKAN Bowler attaches to the user's wheelchair. A caddy places the ball atop the IKAN Bowler, as the user instructs (how the finger holes are positioned determines the shape of the shot). The user's knowledge of the ball, plus where the user sets up, then drives forward, turning the chair slightly left and right (aiming the shot) as necessary when approaching the foul line, and finally braking the wheelchair which sends the ball down the IKAN Bowler -- that is what determines how well we bowl.

The United States Bowling Congress (USBC) declared that process and the IKAN Bowler acceptable for league play -- any league anywhere in the U.S. -- sanctioning it for competition with and against able-bodied bowlers or IKAN Users.

Ok, that sets the foundation for this blog. I'll be back soon with the first profile and story about an IKAN User. I am also in school via the University of Florida's online business program (bachelor's degree) which takes up quite a bit of time, but I'll have at least one blog entry each month.

Our IKAN products are available right now for shipping anywhere in the world (shipping to the continental United States is included in the price, but we can ship anywhere).

Anyone who may be interested, ABSOLUTELY MUST READ my next post about a PRICE BREAK on our products (click HERE!:).

Thank you very much for your interest! :-)

Sincerely,

Bill Miller :-)
C1-2 Quadriplegic with a 202 High Game
Co-founder of Manufacturing Genuine Thrills Inc. d/b/a MGT
Business website: http://www.IkanBowler.com
Personal website: http://www.LookMomNoHands.net
Blogger: emPOWERing Wheelchair Users!