About Us…
Our journey began back in the 1990’s when a site called Follow Me Outdoors was created to chronicle some of Chad’s adventures and be an information source for anybody looking to get back outside like he was. Soon after, he started writing about other people he’d met who had varying types and degrees of abilities. He wanted to share with the world the different kinds of adaptive equipment
that they used to hunt & fish. Chad was lucky enough to win an antelope hunt in New Mexico from Buckmasters where he ended up taking a nice goat in the famed Gila National Forest. When he got home, he wrote a story that got published in “Rack Magazine,” his first ever as a writer. That was the point when he thought about how much harder it would be for disabled hunters to get their stories into mainstream media, and that made it all the more important to share their explorations with others.
“In the 80’s, the internet was still very new so there wasn’t much to be found in the way of disabled outdoors. There’s a lot more of it today, of course, but it’s still scattered all over the place. Ashlee and I want to show everybody what is possible for able sportsmen in the outdoors and how to do it.” – Chad W. Since a paralyzing ranching accident in 1999, Ashlee Lundvall has been redefining her life. She is a champion for change in the many organizations she works with, encouraging everyone to live to the fullest. A natural outdoorswoman and adventurer with a powerful message of adaptability and perseverance, she energizes audiences around the country with her humor and authentic personal stories. Passionate about accessible outdoor recreation, she lives in Cody, Wyoming, with her husband and daughter. Depending on the season, Ashlee can be found camping, kayaking, hunting, fly fishing, or hand cycling while making a difference in board rooms, consulting businesses and mentoring newly injured patients and their families.
“Ashlee is a unique ambassador for the outdoors. Wheelchair USA with her platform of making the outdoors more accessible to everyone. She was and is today an animal lover and a hunter. These two unique characteristics don’t seem to be compatible even though they really are. Most of us take our ability to get into a vehicle, drive to the woods and go hunting for granted. But for Ashlee, it’s a decision to do whatever she must do to get to wherever she needs to go to find game to hunt. Ashlee is not only an ambassador for the outdoors. She’s an ambassador for the 2.2 million people in the United States who depend on wheelchairs for day-to-day tasks and mobility and for the Americans in wheelchairs who are participating more in outdoor sports and activities. She brings an unusual perspective on who can hunt, fish, hike, canoe and kayak in the great outdoors.” – John E. Phillips, Outdoor Writer
Ashlee & Chad are teaming up to launch a video series about life in the outdoors for people of all abilities. They will show everyone how they 'get it done' in the fields, on the water, in the mountains and on the plains. There are a lot of different types of disabilities out there and different kinds of adaptive equipment, and this show will cover it all, eventually, so stay tuned! AO will also be a reference for the able sportsman, their family members, and the professionals working in all types of therapeutic programs. We want to show people who think they can’t that they can. To show them where to go, how to do it, who to do it with, what equipment they’ll need and how to find it. We hope to reach those who have been lost and forgotten or been recently injured. Naturally, our goal is to inspire those people to get outside, and then come back to tell us about it so others can learn from their journeys. The AO site and video series reveal the inspirational stories about physically-challenged sportsmen and women of all ages and how they’ve succeeded in the face of extreme adversity. We will focus on Hunting and Outdoor Recreation of course, but we’ll also cover the entire spectrum of outdoor activities: Outdoor Recreation, Wounded Warriors, Travel, Adaptive Equipment, Organizations, Gear Reviews, Daily living, Home & Garden and special events in every state. This will be a growing resource that we believe will make a difference so please hop on board and contribute if you want and let us know how we're doing.
