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
 

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

Working 2 Walk -- How To Help

This blog is aimed at spreading awareness about how people with high level paralysis can experience -- and are experiencing -- a better quality of life, primarily through the fun, social, and competitive aspects that participating in a sport can provide. Bowling and/or playing power soccer can improve life now -- but, longterm... we still need science, medicine, and the Good Lord's blessing (which I believe we have) to develop therapies that restore significant function and "cure" paralysis.

With the passing of Christopher Reeve in 2004, we lost the "face" and most ardent advocate for paralysis and spinal cord injury (SCI) research. Instead of just one person trying to fill his mammoth shoes, those of us in the paralysis community who wish to see a cure sooner rather than later, we all need to do our part to help bring truly beneficial therapies to fruition ASAP. That's the vision that led to the formation of Unite 2 Fight Paralysis (U2FP), a group with whom I'm proud to associate. U2FP, working with the Christopher Reeve Foundation, held the inaugural Working 2 Walk (W2W) Science and Advocacy Symposium in 2006 and another successful event in 2007.

The 3rd annual Working 2 Walk, 2008, is being held in Washington DC April 13-15 and is "... a 3-day event for leaders in the paralysis community who want to advocate for a cure, including family members, supporters, scientists, therapists, and anyone interested in joining this critical effort. The event focuses on education and empowerment to become effective advocates."

Really, anyone can help. If you have a SCI, and can go to Washington DC for the three days, please consider doing so (see links to more info below). Anyone else who is reading this can let their elected officials (the ones in Washington DC) know that you support passing the Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Act (CDRPA), which will provide much-needed infrastructure for bringing about legitimate therapies AND help improve quality of life for people currently living with paralysis. It does NOT have anything to do with using "controversial" embryonic stem cells.

For more information, checkout the below links.
http://www.working2walk.org/
http://www.unite2fightparalysis.org/

THANKS -- and God bless!

Bill Miller :-)
C1-2 Quadriplegic with a 206 High Bowling Game
Co-founder of Manufacturing Genuine Thrills Inc. d/b/a MGT
My blog: http://powerwheelchairusers.blogspot.com/
Business website: http://www.ikanbowler.com/
Personal website: http://www.lookmomnohands.net/

IKAN User Profile: Bill Miller, Florida

Most of the previous blog entries were to set the foundation with all the background info about power wheelchair bowling, power soccer, and how our products can empower wheelchair users (scroll down or click HERE for Five Key Things to Know). Now I want to start profiling people who think life is better as an IKAN User.

To kick this off, since I haven't established a format yet, I'm going to start with me and get my profile out of the way.

~~~~~

Name: Bill Miller
Age: 30
Location: Central Florida (Leesburg)
Reason for Wheelchair Use: Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) at C1-2 level
Onset or Injury Date: August 23rd, 1997
Wheelchair Operation Method: Sip-and-puff
High Bowling Score: 202 (twice achieved)
Approximate Bowling Average: 155
Typical Range of Scores: 130-180 (I'm NOT the most consistent!:)
Bowling Frequency: Typically twice a month for Quad Squad outings (scroll down or click HERE for Quad Squad info; I'd like to bowl more, but my current schedule won't allow it)
Bowling Ball(s): Columbia White Dot (very economical)
Quote from Bill: "Life doesn't have to be a spectator sport -- even for people with significant physical challenges."

~~~~~

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/