IKAN User Profile: JR Harding, Ed. D., Florida

I know "Dr. Harding" as JR.  He is a rare two-time quadriplegic.  JR has contributed to national, state and local disability policy as a two-time U.S. presidential appointee, seven-time gubernatorial appointee, and a community volunteer for all things related to the quality of life for persons with disabilities.

His community work secured $3.5 million of accessibility enhancements to Billy Joe Rish Park, a desirable and affordable vacation location designed with wheelchair users and people with disabilities in mind.  It's on the beach in Northwest Florida (www.RishPark.org).

JR's book, "Now What?" (available in paperback and ebook versions) chronicles his early journey from high school football star through two different spinal cord injuries.  It is an intense personal sharing of tragedy, triumph, failures and successes.

He's also had some fun and success bowling IKAN-style.

Here are JR's IKAN User Profile answers...

Name: JR Harding, Ed. D.
Age: 45
Location: Tallahassee, FL
Reason for Wheelchair Use: Two-time C5 Quadriplegic (1983 & 1998)
Onset or Injury date: (above)
Wheelchair Operation Method: Joystick for power chair primarily; I use a manual chair occasionally
High Bowling Score: 179
Approx Bowling Average: 130
Bowling Frequency: Every other month
Bowling Ball: 15 lb ball
Quote from JR: "Don't sit on the sidelines, get back in the game of life."

Thank you for your many contributions JR!

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 Record for a Female Using Sip-and-Puff!

My friend and fellow Quad Squad member Rhonda Reese set a new record for dynamic-style wheelchair bowling by a female driving her wheelchair by sip-and-puff. Rhonda bowled a very impressive 195 -- beating her previous best by whopping 25 pins!

Rhonda & I have been friends since long before the IKAN Bowler was invented, and I know she loves having upped the record to a lofty 195. I also know that she has wanted to beat me for the afternoon's high score for quite some time (I think she beat me once previously, but she doesn't recall doing so).

But she'll certainly remember the outcomes from Quad Squad Bowling on July 14th, 2012 (she has the scoresheets to prove it). Yes, she beat me. Technically, she beat me twice that afternoon (although highest overall game is what we go by).

Brenda, Lilian, Melissa, Aaron, Rhonda and I were the IKAN-style bowlers that day, and while everyone had fun, the high score competition would come down to Rhonda and me. I started with a solid game of 157, which Rhonda promptly topped with a 159. In hindsight, that appears to have been a harbinger of what was to come.

So I knew I had to at least beat 159 in order to have the afternoon's top score, and in my second game, I bowled a 194. That's not exactly shabby. I looked over at Rhonda, who was still finishing her second game, and (though I should've waited) I said, "Sorry, Rhonda" for beating her 159 by a good bit and taking over the high score.

Then I proceeded to watch Rhonda bowl a strike in the 9th frame, which gave her the possibility of catching me with another strike (at least) in the tenth frame. She got it. And with her second ball in the tenth, she knocked down 7 pins, giving her 195 regardless of what she did with her bonus ball -- and securing a likely victory over me and our Quad Squad friends on the afternoon (I managed a 184 in my third and final game of the day, which obviously fell short of her 195).

On a day of excellent bowling for Rhonda, the only "bad" news is that she was left to try to pickup a nasty 4-7-10 split with her last ball of her record game. That spare attempt, for us IKAN Users, is makeable probably one-percent of the time, if that. Rhonda went for it but missed. If Rhonda had an easier three pins remaining, she would've had a much better chance to break 200 (the three pins would've been added to her strike, essentially counting double, and would've given her 201), which she lamented later.

Nonetheless, Rhonda was (and is still) quite pleased with her 195, her new record, and with beating me (by one pin!:). And, though I'm quite competitive and don't like to lose, I'm quite happy for Rhonda too.

Click HERE for Rhonda's scoresheet.

CONGRATULATIONS RHONDA! :-)

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

Quad Squad Bowls Over Adversity

Our local newspaper did a nice story on our Quad Squad Bowling group.

There's also an online photo gallery with the story.  But, I must say, I don't think the face I am making in one of those pictures is my typical "strike face" (smile:). I think I'm cringing because my ball is probably going to hit the headpin too squarely on the nose, which often results in a bad split, but apparently I got lucky and wound up with a strike.

Here's the story:

http://www.dailycommercial.com/News/LakeCounty/061312bowlers

Here's a PDF printout of the story in case the link above stops working.

Thank you to writer Theresa Campbell, photographer Victoria Aldrich, and the Daily Commercial!

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

Records Set for Males Driving by Head Array Control

Brian Keefer's 159 Sets the Pace for Males Driving by Head Array Control

If the name Brian Keefer sounds familiar, then perhaps you're a fan of the TV show Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.  The Keefer family was featured on the show on October 21st, 2011. I wrote about it at this blog entry.

Anyway, Brian has had opportunities to bowl in the last few months, and has set the record three times for male wheelchair users who drive via head array control.  He currently has the record at 159 (scoresheet HERE).

Brian's Dad Steve said Brian "loves bowling" and wants to bowl often.  So I'm thinking that the 159 won't be Brian's last record.

CONGRATULATIONS BRIAN and GOOD LUCK BOWLING! :-)

God bless!

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

Meet Bill Miller (Video!)

I learned that people like blogs because they are like having a conversation with the author.  With that in mind, I recorded a 6-minute video to share some about me and to show some of what is possible as a high-level quadriplegic, even while requiring a ventilator:

Here's the direct link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DiVonbXUWcU

For the record, doing that video, I was thinking back to when I was newly injured and wondering what life might be like.  Hopefully the video will be encouraging to other people, especially other newly injured quadriplegics.

God bless all.

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

C1-2 Quadriplegic Is Engaged!

The purpose of this blog is to encourage and empower wheelchair users, which I primarily try to do by showing what is possible when people get involved with a fun, social, recreational sport like bowling.  The benefits of having success bowling can give the user confidence that can carry over to positively impact other areas of their life (so says therapeutic recreation experts).

However, one aspect of life that people who require power wheelchairs may feel like they have to forego because of their disability, is the prospect for love and potentially marriage.  While I never gave up on the possibility that I would find the right person for me, I knew that it would require a special person who could see past the wheelchair and accept the additional challenges that paralysis adds to having a relationship.

I eventually learned that what many women most want is someone who will treat them very well, give them plenty of positive attention via frequent communication, and to be loved unconditionally — by good guys.  A wheelchair doesn't prohibit that, and there are quite a few good guys who happen to be wheelchair users.

From a thousand miles away, I connected with the person that I believe God intended for me, with the help of the Internet and many thanks to God.  It was actually a blessing to meet from afar because it "forced" us to establish excellent communication, which is a huge key to success for any relationship (one reason why is because good communication builds trust, which is the foundation for a healthy relationship).

For many reasons, Lisa & I believe we are right for each other, but perhaps the most amazing thing about her and our relationship is that, all in all, she believes that the many positives in our relationship FAR outweigh the additional challenges.  I was hoping to find someone who was open to that perspective, if we connected well.

Well, Lisa & I share a tremendous connection and I'm gratefully blessed to share that we got engaged yesterday about sunset at a wonderful local park.  You can see some pictures HERE.  (I'm trying to keep this blog tone “matter of factual” but, I could not be happier about being engaged to Lisa!:)

I've been asked by a few wheelchair users about how to potentially develop a romantic relationship with someone, and my answer is that it should start with good communication.  If you find someone who enjoys communicating with you and vice versa, and especially on a daily basis, at the very least that sounds like a good friendship, and it could develop into more.  That's essentially the path that Lisa & I took, and I think it can work for others too — whether disabilities are involved or not.

I hope my story can be encouraging.

God bless!

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 Overall World Record for Dynamic-Style Wheelchair Bowling

Vent-Dependent Quadriplegic Bill Miller Bowls a 255 in a 674 Series

I, Bill Miller, am blessed to have actually bowled a 255 and 245 in consecutive games in a 674 series.  The 255 is the new overall world record for dynamic-style wheelchair bowling, and the record for wheelchair users with spinal cord injuries, and also for sip-and-puff wheelchair users.  And, yes, I am paralyzed from my neck down and also a fulltime ventilator user.

For other categories of wheelchair bowling records, click HERE.

For the scoresheet, pictures, and details of my new records, click HERE.

Thanks and God bless!

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