Chris Brown Slednecks Weekend Getaway Maddness!

Posted on March 16, 2012 by 9Lives_Wildcat

Here is a great blog entry by Matthew Mallory via JoyDigger.com please have a look below!

DISABLED IS JUST A STATE OF MIND

Posted on March 16, 2012 by joydigger.com

By: Matthew Mallory
Under ominous skies I started my truck on Saturday morning. Snowflakes falling from bloated clouds blotted out any rays of light that may have had intentions of beaming through. With no expectations for what the day would hold in regards to riding, I had hoped for some sunshine and visibility.

9Lives Adventures is an amazing organization. They work hard to provide opportunities for people with spinal cord injuries to do incredible things. By pairing up awesome disabled people with able bodied athletes 9Lives helps to provide an experience that cannot be bought. In essence they are helping to provide priceless moments in time, memories that will last forever. In the past they have done some wicked trips to go sky diving over Mt. Currie in Pemberton, British Columbia as well as a Whistler Bungee/ATV trip last year. Very cool stuff but this year they really stepped it up (okay we may be biased since we are sledheads here). First it was off to Whistler Bungee then the next day a trip up into the snow covered mountains with none other than Sledneck Chris Brown.

The congregation assembles. Photo: Matthew Mallory

Anyone who pays attention to what is happening on sleds in the mountains knows who Chris Brown is. For years he has been pushing the limits of what is possible on a snowmobile in the backcountry as well as to what the human body can endure. Last year while filming Chris had an absolutely horrific crash. In a video that has seen over 70,000 views on youtube you can witness a gnarly double drop gone wrong with Chris hitting a tree fifty-five feet in the air before crashing to the ground. The list of injuries he sustained is long and needless to say they were bad. Doctors had told him that he wasn’t going to enjoy the same lifestyle he’d had before the injury but with a strong will and constitution along with some serious dedication to rehab he was out of the wheelchair and walking after six months and this fall in the first week of November he was sledding again. Though he is walking with a slight limp he is smooth as ever on his sled and throwing down some pretty rad moves.

“After my accident I spent about 6 months in a wheelchair. I had a lot of people help me get through the tough times and I thought I should do the same. I approached 9 Lives and told them I wanted to take 4 of their athletes snowmobiling so we lined it up. They asked me what day and I said ‘my birthday, March 10′. What better way to spend your birthday?”-Chris Brown

The man, the myth, the legend….Chris Brown and his trusty Yamaha steed. Photo: Alyssa Berard

So last fall out of the blue Alyssa from 9Lives received a random and out of the blue message from Chris. To say they were stoked in the 9Lives offices would be an understatement. This was exactly the type of trip that they dream about organizing for the Wildcats. Now it was just a matter of how to choose the lucky folks that would join Chris in Whistler for a weekend they will not forget. The video contest that they put together garnered ten entries. If you check out the 9Lives Adventures Facebook page you can watch the videos, all of them are inspiring, stories that are unique to each individual but had a common denominator, they were all happy, stoked people who are fired up on action sports and living life to the fullest.

Now the crew at 9Lives were excited to have ten people from across North America take the time to put together entries that essentially shared the story of their lives with the public but what they did not expect was the voter response to the contest. Before the voting started they had about 500 followers on their page and in a matter of two weeks that number had escalated to 4500. In the end the winners which were based on the public voting were whittled down to Lonnie Bissonette and Christi Rougoor from Ontario and Chad McPherson from Alberta. These three chargers had taken the most votes with their inspirational stories, they showed that they can rise to any challenge and the only limitations they face are the ones others place upon them.

Christi “The Lynx” Rougoor (left), Julie-Ann Chapman and Alain Delarosbil chillin’ at the parking lot. Photo: Alyssa Berard

Saturday morning saw a huge congregation of people turn up for the ride. When the word went out from Chris that this was going down several friends immediately notified him that they would be interested in helping. It was awesome to see how the local sled community in Whistler came together for this, Kalle “KJ” Johansson came out with a spare sled for someone to use, Julie-Ann Chapman and Alain Delarosbil made the journey down from Pemberton and then of course someone who has a rather big name in these circles, Olympian, Winter X Games Sit-Skicross Gold Medalist, sledder and all around good guy, Samson Daniels was on hand.

Sam Daniels getting his roop on. Photo: Alyssa Berard

It became obvious quite quickly that these guys and gal were here to have some serious fun. There didn’t seem to be any intention of sticking to the trail, the groomer was just a means to an end…..POW. The first stop was at the Canadian Snowmobile Cabin on Sprout. After a brief run down on the layout of the lake and terrain below us they were off charging. I have been out with a few beginners, rookies so to speak and when there is a serious lack of visibility it will generally lead to hesitation on the throttle and a lot of digging out sleds. Well that was not the case here.

Lonnie Bissonnette….BRAAAP! Photo: Matthew Mallory

Lonnie, Chad and Christi were here to do one thing rip pow and they wasted no time getting into it. In a short matter of time the lake and its surrounding hillsides were tracked up. After a lunch at the cabin where jokes were cracked, bellies filled, and much laughter everyone loosened up and a quick camaraderie developed it was on to more challenges. This time to a larger zone, a little higher, more rolls and variations in the terrain, a touch fewer trees and even less vis.

A thumbs from Christi Rougoor. You can’t see it because of the helmet but Christi had the biggest damn smile all day. Photo: Matthew Mallory

You’d think when the light became so flat that you could hardly tell what was up and what was down that everyone would have calmed down but hell no! Lonnie wasn’t just trying to roop up pow turns he was pointing his rig straight up anything he could find to climb, Christi tandem-ed up with Chris for an exciting ride through the snow, as she told the Whistler Question, “….when I doubled up with Chris on the sled, I felt completely safe and it was really cool, he was throwing up tricks and everything”. Then there was Chad.

Chad McPherson is a demon on a sled, talk about pinned. Throttle to the bar all day. Photo: Alyssa Berard

Chad is an experienced sledder from Grande Prairie, Alberta. For him this was not just the opportunity of a lifetime, you know, riding with Chris and the deep Whistler snow but also a chance to get his mitts on a Polaris PRO-RMK 800, a sled that has garnered rave reviews for its handling in the backcountry. Chad put on his own clinic of what a paraplegic can do, he was pinned everywhere, side-hilling, charging up hills, jumping and at one point hitting a wind-lip and pulling a sweet wheelie across the top of it, not to mention all of the time in the white room, soaking up the faceshots. As he commented on one of his Facebook photos from the day, “I Drove it like I stole it”.

Chad rocking the side-hill, this guy was on fire! Photo: Matthew Mallory

“It is so rad to see an organization like 9Lives doing what they did this past weekend.  I felt so honoured to be part of the group and be able to sled with the most stoked group I have ever snowmobiled with.  I went into the day with zero expectations and man did they ever blow me away.  They all killed it on the sleds!  It made for amazing laughter when one of them would fly off the sled like a lemming in the air.  A minor lift back onto the sled is all they needed and they were off ripping again.  It truly warmed my heart hanging with this group and made me realize that ANYTHING is doable as a paraplegic”.- Julie-Ann Chapman

There was the occasional spill and stuck but far fewer than you would think. Chris Brown and several of his friends were on hand to help out when needed. Photo: Alyssa Berard

So a couple days after everyone had left I called Alyssa to catch up on how everyone’s experience was. It would seem that everyone involved had the time of their lives, Alyssa and Karim were appreciative of all the support they received from the Whistler community, Chris and all his friends who came out for the day. As she said, “it was a day that will live on with everyone….I’ve never seen three happier people in my life”. The whole weekend was being captured on video and Sunday before they left town all of the participants sat down to talk about how the trip went for them and all three were emotional, it turned out to be an experience that you just could not pay for. There are still adventure tour operators out there that will refuse disabled clients and to have Chris Brown step to the plate with a backcountry sledding day was not just fantastic it showed that a permanent spinal injury is not something that has to hold someone back from experiencing all of the thrills and spills that life has to offer. Christi, Lonnie and Chad were not the only ones to be touched by the day though. Everyone that came out for the day from Whistler, Alain, Fraser, Julie-Ann, Samson, Chris and myself all walked away feeling as if we had been part of something spectacular. An incredible, shared experience of deep pow, sleds and new friends!

Man oh man, Alyssa was awesome, not only did she help organize the weekend, she stood around snapping photos in a snowstorm and did a stellar job of making sure everyone’s goggles were clean. Photo: Matthew Mallory

The best way to wrap this whole thing up is something Chris sent me.

“It was so cool meeting everyone Friday evening at Earls for dinner…everyone was so rad. The winners are the most solid people you have ever met. They are so real…so determined…so happy. They (and I) have found real happiness even after facing serious physical struggles. Saturday was such an awesome day…I asked some good friends to come out and had a few more approach me to help so we had a great crew. We had Sam join us which was really cool…he is an inspiration to everyone. Sam kills it on anything he touches and has a huge smile the whole time. Chad, Christi and Lonnie were shredding on their own sleds and it was so cool to see the stoke coming from them. It was the best birthday present I’ve had. I had a couple mechanical issues with sleds so I got down late and had to miss the after party…I was regretting that so much that I told the crew that we have to make this an annual event. So, since the first annual 9 Lives/RidewithChrisBrown ride was a huge success we are now going to be doing this every year! Stoked…

A serious accident can often be a life changing event. Live everyday like it’s your last…and respect and help others. When we die it doesn’t matter how much money or material posessions we have…only love matters”.

Karim Ladki was the other half of the 9Lives organization crew. If that sled looks familiar it is because KJ was kind enough to bring Vera’s black beauty along so that everyone would have a machine. Photo: Alyssa Berard

Lonnie is a base jumper from Ontario and a natural animal on a snow machine. Photo: Matthew Mallory

Christi “The Lynx” Rougoor making the Yamaha growl and the snow fly. Photo: Matthew Mallory

Lunchtime at the Cabin, a touch of warmth, a tease of sun and a lot of laughs! Photo: Alyssa Berard

Chad tearing up the pow. Photo: Matthew Mallory

Whistler and Ma Nature didn’t disappoint serving up a lot of that delicious pow for Lonnie and the rest of group. Photo: Matthew Mallory

Christi has a motocross background and immediately looked comfortable on the sled. Photo: Alyssa Berard

Chad was throwing the Polaris PRO-RMK around like it was nobody’s business. Photo: Matthew Mallory

Heath Frisby had the front flip at the Winter X Games but check this out. Lonnie shows us the handplant! Photo: Matthew Mallory

At the end of the day Sam Daniels and I took an alternate route down, a little steeper, a little deeper and so damn good we had to do it again! Photo: Matthew Mallory

With the day being such a success Chris and 9Lives decided they had just better do it again next year. Photo: Matthew Mallory

Not ones to sit still the 9Lives folks are busy planning their next ventures, trips, adaptive skateboard, ski and snowboard programs with the hopes of getting athletes into the X Games and much, much more. If you would like to find out more about 9Lives Adventures please visit their website www.9livesadventures.com.

9Lives Adventures would like to thank the Delta Village Suites, Whistler Bungee, Earls Restaurant, Whistler Blackcomb, Creekbread, Elephant Castle and Ride With Chris Brown for making this weekend possible.

 

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Life After SCI: Series Article 5/5

Posted on January 16, 2012 by 9Lives_Wildcat

Click here for the full article: http://uromed.wordpress.com/2012/01/14/whats-high-adventure-for-you-with-karim-ladki-of-9lives-aventures/

What’s High Adventure For You? With Karim Ladki Of 9Lives Adventures

January 14, 2012 Leave a Comment

Editor’s Note: No one goes through life without problems. However, the living of life isn’t about the problems you have, but rather what you do with those problems and how you turn a disadvantage into an advantage. Once you look around and see the difficulties other people are facing, you’ll recognize that the things you’re dealing with aren’t nearly as important or as tough as problems other people have. But another key part of having a great life is seeing and learning how others have dealt with their physical challenges, overcome them and used those challenges for the betterment of mankind. This is the story of Karim Ladki of Vancouver, Canada, the founder and owner of 9Lives Adventures, Inc., who has decided to give everyone the adventures they seek, regardless of their physical concerns. Part 5 of a 5-part series.

Not everyone wants to participate in extreme sports like bungee jumping and skydiving. For that person, we have what’s called the RPM Rush Tour, which is a 3-day 2-night trip that includes jetboating, riding an ATV up to the top of a mountain and enjoying a freshly caught baked salmondinner. The jetboating is much like a theme park ride. It’s really exciting being on a river in a boat that can run 40 miles per hour or faster and do a 360 turn in rapids and run it up waterfalls. After that adventure, you either can drive or ride behind someone who’s driving up a mountain on an ATV and have a scenic dinner, while looking at an awe inspiring view from the top. The RPM tour is a great way to get your feet wet (not really!) and taste what high adventure sports involve.

There are other adventures, like ATV riding, that aren't as extreme as skydiving or bungee jumping.

There are other adventures, like ATV riding, that aren’t as extreme as skydiving or bungee jumping.

When we go to the mountain, we ride four wheelers that have automatic gearshifts, so you don’t need any legs to ride these quads. They all have hand controls, and you control the vehicle with your thumbs and your wrist. As long as you have some upper body strength, you can operate these quads by yourself. One of our rides is up Blackcomb Mountain. You come down the mountain on your ATV, after eating dinner. The entire trip lasts about four hours.

One of the activities that our clients really enjoy is the wind tunnel flying that we do inVancouver. They get out of their wheelchairs and learn how to fly with no one around them. They experience what skydivers feel and learn to maneuver their bodies in the wind. In the wind tunnel, there’s no plane or parachute, you just feel weightless. Wind tunnel flying is about as free and liberating as any activity we have.

The most exciting part of this adventure for me is to see our clients flying in that wind tunnel and looking back at their wheelchairs with no one sitting in them. They can ride the wind tunnel as many times as they want to, and we use it to teach people with physical challenges how to skydive. Your first trip into the wind tunnel usually lasts about four to eight minutes, and you can learn as much as you want to about flying. You actually can feel what skydiving or BASE jumping feels like.

Wind tunnel flying is less extreme than bungee jumping or sky diving, but equally as fun!

Wind tunnel flying is less extreme than bungee jumping or sky diving, but equally as fun!

Snowmobiling is another fun winter activity. Everyone has his or her own snowmobile or can ride with an instructor. Each snowmobile adventure is based on what type of conditions we have on the mountains each day. We also teach sit-skiing and para-snowboarding, also known as adaptive snowboarding. We teach people how to go up a mountain and snowboard or sit-ski, depending on their physical challenges. We’ve partnered with Whistler Adaptive Ski and Snowboard Programfor this kind of tour.

Snowmobiling is one adventure that 9Lives adventurists enjoy.

Snowmobiling is one adventure that 9Lives adventurists enjoy.

We’ve also created the first wheelchair skateboarding course in Canada. We have competition in wheelchair skateboarding and hope to have sponsors. In a controlled environment, disabled people can learn how to drop in on a ramp and skate on a wheelchair.

9Lives Adventures is continually growing. As we learn about more activities that people who are physically challenged can participate in, we’ll learn how to adapt and create more programs. We truly believe that there are no limits. This year, we’re hoping to get into Whistler’s Powder Mountain heliskiing. Individuals will be taken to the top of a mountain to a helicopter, and skiers will get to ride the best snow down a mountain.

Don’t like that? There’s always Jet Boating!

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Life After SCI: Series Article 4/5

Posted on January 16, 2012 by 9Lives_Wildcat

Click here for the full article: http://uromed.wordpress.com/2012/01/13/a-new-world-of-extreme-adventures-with-karim-ladki-of-9lives-adventures/

A New World Of Extreme Adventures With Karim Ladki Of 9Lives Adventures

January 13, 2012 Leave a Comment

Editor’s Note: No one goes through life without problems. However, living life isn’t about the problems you have, but rather what you do with those problems and how you turn a disadvantage into an advantage. Once you look around and see the difficulties other people are facing, you’ll recognize that the things you’re dealing with aren’t nearly as important or as tough as problems other people have. But another key part of having a great life is seeing and learning how others have dealt with their physical challenges, overcome them and used those challenges for the betterment of mankind. This is the story of Karim Ladki of Vancouver, Canada, the founder and owner of 9Lives Adventures, Inc., who has decided to give everyone the adventures they seek, regardless of their physical concerns.  Part 4 of a 5-part series.

Almost everyone who asks me about 9Lives Adventures wants to know, “How does someone bungee jump if he or she is in a wheelchair or has physical disabilities?” Most people think of bungee jumping as a sport designed for able bodied people. What we’ve learned is that our wheelchair athletes can jump and stay in their wheelchairs. Wheelchairs are very sturdy, and jumping while you’re in a wheelchair keeps the body much more steady than jumping without one does and keeps the blood from flowing to your head. A wheelchair jumper has a specific bungee cord that’s actually tied to the axles of the wheelchair. When they’re ready, they take the 160 foot leap of faith. 

Getting all strapped in, secure and ready to jump 160 feet!

Getting all strapped in, secure and ready to jump 160 feet!

So far we’ve had many different people bungee jump. The people who have jumped told me that they’ve gained a tremendous amount of confidence and courage from the experience. Our clients are on the bungee bridge with able bodied individuals who are also going to jump. When they see someone in a wheelchair jump, he or she becomes the hero of the day and proves that if he or she can do it, others can too.

When able bodied people see someone in a wheelchair jump, he or she becomes the hero of the day and proves that if he or she can do it, others can too.

When able bodied people see someone in a wheelchair jump, he or she becomes the hero of the day and proves that if he or she can do it, others can too.

When the jumpers land, they have one of two types of landing experiences. They’re either dead silent trying to catch their breath, or they’re the complete opposite, screaming and yelling with excitement over the experience they’ve just had. Following a tour with 9Lives, we’ve had people tell us how much confidence they’ve gained through what they’ve just done and the confidence to get on with their lives and possibly become more than they’ve thought possible. Really and truly this was the main reason we started 9Lives Adventures.

Gaining confidence, one 160-foot fall at a time!

Gaining confidence, one 160-foot fall at a time!

I think high adventure activities cause people to sit higher and straighter in their wheelchairs, knowing they’ve conquered the seemingly impossible. Others can see that these folks have “go-get-em” attitudes. Our people have learned that once they can overcome tremendous fear and take a couple of steps toward that fear, the fear and adventure are really no big deal. After one of these experiences, they’ll usually want to try other new activities and meet new people who are willing to go through some of the same experiences they’ve enjoyed.  

See the bird’s eye perspective of bungee jumping with 9Lives Adventures here:

The best way to get in touch with us is through the 9Lives Adventures, Inc.’s webpage. Please feel free to contact Karim as well.

Next: What’s High Adventure For You? With Karim Ladki Of 9Lives Adventures

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Life After SCI: Series Article 3/5

Posted on January 16, 2012 by 9Lives_Wildcat

Click here for the full article: http://uromed.wordpress.com/2012/01/12/explorers-in-a-new-world-of-extreme-adventures-with-karim-ladki-of-9lives-adventures/

Explorers in a New World of Extreme Adventures with Karim Ladki of 9Lives Adventures

January 12, 2012 1 Comment

Editor’s Note: No one goes through life without problems. However, the living of life isn’t about the problems you have, but rather what you do with those problems and how you turn a disadvantage into an advantage. Once you look around and see the difficulties other people are facing, you’ll recognize that the things you’re dealing with aren’t nearly as important or as tough as problems other people have. But another key part of having a great life is seeing and learning how others have dealt with their physical challenges, overcome them and used those challenges for the betterment of mankind. This is the story of Karim Ladki of Vancouver, Canada, the founder and owner of 9Lives Adventures, Inc., who has decided to give everyone the adventures they seek, regardless of their physical concerns.  Part 3 of a 5-part series.

Ladki: One of the most-memorable adventures I’ve personally been on was a skydiving adventure where we had four people in wheelchairs, three of whom never before had been skydiving. This adventure was one in which they

Karim has always been an avid thrill seeker and adventure traveler.

Karim has always been an avid thrill seeker and adventure traveler.

really wanted to participate – the type of activity that 9Lives very much wanted to make available to individuals with physical challenges.

The only modification that we really had to do was to duct-tape their knees and their ankles, and the rest of the skydive was pretty much like any other type of tandem skydive, with an instructor hooked-up to the jumper. No one was alone when he or she left the plane, although they felt like they were. I’ll have to admit. I was really uptight; probably more uptight than the wheelchair jumpers were.

Once they all landed safely, I probably breathed a bigger sigh of relief than they did. That’s a high-adventure trip that really sticks out in my mind, because I feel like we broke a barrier there that I don’t know if any other tour operator has ever broken.

We opened-up a high-adventure sport, although the world had pretty much decided that, “Skydiving is not for wheelchair users.” Now we know there are few barriers left for individuals in chairs.

Once these guys landed, I videoed them, and their faces were explosive. They were so excited and so full of joy they hardly could contain themselves. They knew that they had helped to break the barrier for individuals in wheelchairs or with any-other type of physical disability. They were like the astronauts who went into outer space and crashed a barrier that had existed for many years, not only for themselves, but also for the generations who would follow them.

See the footage from 9Lives Adventures first skydiving expedition:

If you don’t think that’s extreme, I’ve also been with some individuals who have BASE jumped (wearing a packed parachute to jump from fixed objects) in their wheelchairs. These kinds of people are those getting in touch with 9Lives Adventures now.

We’ve found that there are people all around the world who are adventure seekers and want to pursue what can be done by individuals with physical challenges. We’ve had some really-extraordinary individuals.

What we’ve learned since we’ve started 9Lives Adventures is that there’s an army of physically-challenged people all over the world who thrive on pushing the limits of what can be done with the physically challenged. These explorers, pioneers and adventure seekers are the ones who truly believe there are no limits, and we are here to find all of them through the 9Lives project.

The best way to get in touch with us is through the 9Lives Adventures, Inc.’s webpage: www.9livesadventures.com. My personal email is kari...@9livesadventures.com.

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Life After SCI: Series Article 2/5

Posted on January 16, 2012 by 9Lives_Wildcat

Click here for the full article: http://uromed.wordpress.com/2012/01/11/karim-ladkis-9lives-adventures-offers-high-adventure-activities-for-everyone/

Karim Ladki’s 9Lives Adventures Offers High Adventure Activities for Everyone

January 11, 2012 1 Comment

 Editor’s Note: No one goes through life without problems. However, living life isn’t about the problems you have, but rather what you can do to solve those problems. Once you look around and see the difficulties other people are facing, you’ll recognize that the things you’re dealing with aren’t nearly as important or as tough as problems other people have. But another key part of having a great life is seeing and learning how others have dealt with their physical challenges, overcame them and used those challenges for the betterment of mankind. This is the story of Karim Ladki of Vancouver, Canada, the founder and owner of 9Lives Adventures, Inc., who has decided to give everyone the adventures they seek, regardless of their physical concerns. Part 2 of a 5-part series.

How will you use your 9 lives?

How will you use your 9 lives?

Oftentimes we’re asked, “Are the sports you offer purely for adrenaline junkies?” I say that there’s no such thing as an adrenaline junkie. People who participate in high adventure sports are looking for those pure moments in life that makes them feel the most alive. Our activities are for people who want to push the limits of what they can or can’t do. 9Lives Adventures offers a wide range of activities, including skydiving or bungee jumping as well as the sports that are still full of adventure but not that extreme.

Wind tunnel flying is an adventure that’s not extreme. People in wheelchairs or with any type of disability can do this. They float on a stream of air in a controlled environment and feel all of the excitement and thrill of skydiving, without actually having to get in an airplane and jump out. Or, they can ride a jetboat, a high performance boat with a jet engine that runs fast down rivers and navigates rapids and small waterfalls.

Check out this video of our wind tunnel experiences, we call them “Learn How To Fly Fridays“:
 

One of the trademarks of 9Lives Adventures is we customize every activity to meet the needs and wants of the individual or the group. For instance, we have wheelchair basketball teams who will get together and decide what type of adventure they all want. Then they’ll come as a group and participate in these activities. Currently we have 15 types of activities that people can participate in during the summer months.

Bungee jumping in a wheelchair is totally doable! How fun does this look?

Bungee jumping in a wheelchair is totally doable! How fun does this look?

We have a playground here in British Columbia, and we can tailor make sports and activities for almost anyone. Even in the winter, we offer snowmobiling, sit-skiing workshops, bungee jumping and wind tunnel flying.

You can ski even if you cannot walk at 9Lives Adventures.

You can ski even if you cannot walk at 9Lives Adventures.

We want to demonstrate to individuals with physical challenges that they can do almost anything that any able bodied person can do with a little bit of modification and some extra help. We’ve found that identified groups like paralympic teams and wheelchair basketball teams find that these high adventure sports go a long way toward team building. Many people like to participate in sports like these with other individuals who have similar handicaps to their own. We design activities for individuals as well as teams.

You can choose whatever adventure interests you and your guides and instructors are happy to help you.

You can choose whatever adventure interests you and your guides and instructors are happy to help you.

The best way to learn about what kind of activities you can or want to participate in is to begin an email dialogue with us. There’s other individuals in our company who can talk to people about specific things in which they may be interested. After the initial contact, you can begin to talk with the instructors and guides who will be with you on whatever adventures you may choose.

The best way to get in touch with us is through the 9Lives Adventures, Inc.’s webpage. Please feel free to contact Karim as well.

Next: Explorers in a New World of Extreme Adventures with Karim Ladki of 9Lives Adventures

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Life After SCI: Series Article 1/5

Posted on January 16, 2012 by 9Lives_Wildcat

click here for the full article: http://uromed.wordpress.com/2012/01/10/karim-ladkis-injury-opens-several-doors-for-opportunity-and-an-adrenaline-rush/

Karim Ladki’s Spinal Cord Injury Opens Several Doors For Opportunity And An Adrenaline Rush

January 10, 2012 Leave a Comment

Editor’s Note:  No one goes through life without problems. However, living life isn’t about the problems you have, but rather what you can do to solve those problems. Once you look around and see the difficulties other people are facing, you’ll recognize that the things you’re dealing with aren’t nearly as important or as tough as problems other people have. But another key part of having a great life is seeing and learning how others have dealt with their physical challenges, overcame them and used those challenges for the betterment of mankind. This is the story of Karim Ladki of Vancouver, Canada, the founder and owner of 9Lives Adventures, Inc., who has decided to give everyone the adventures they seek, regardless of their physical concerns. Part 1 of a 5-part series.

Karim has always been an avid thrill seeker and adventure traveler.

Karim has always been an avid thrill seeker and adventure traveler.

Some friends and I came up with the name 9Lives Adventures after listening to all of my friends and relatives say, “Karim, you could have killed yourself or been injured for life after you dove into that shallow water. You must have nine lives!” And to me, the term nine lives relates to people who have overcome problems and have come back, who have pushed the limits and continued to push the limits of what they can do.

I was once told in the hospital, “Karim, you’ve used up your nine lives!” But I was able to prove them wrong. And that’s what we want the people who come on adventure trips with us to be able to prove–that their lives aren’t over because they have physical challenges.

9Lives Adventures is the only adrenaline driven tourism company that focuses on creating carefree activities for people with physical challenges. It started from a dream I had when I broke my neck in 2007. I had a C7 vertebrae fracture and I was in the hospital for a couple of weeks, and off my feet for a couple of months. Luckily I had a full recovery.

When I met another person who had the same injury as me and would be in a wheelchair for the rest of his life, then I realized how lucky I was to be able to walk. I asked the man in the wheelchair, “What do you want to do for the rest of your life?” He smiled and said, “I want to try to do things I’ve never done before but always have wanted to do. I want to skydive, bungee jump, white water raft, and participate in other adventures.”

After talking to this man, I began to change my attitude about life. I decided I wanted to create a program for people like my friend in the wheelchair who had the attitude that, “I don’t want a wheelchair to define me and what I can do. I want to try things that get my adrenaline pumping.” That’s when the idea came to me of creating activities to open doors for people with disabilities. I  investigated ways to help physically challenged individuals become more active, restore excitement to their life and give them that adrenaline rush that so many of us want.

My accident happened when I was on a cruise ship. I dove into shallow water, but I didn’t remember anything that happened until I awoke in the hospital with tubes in my neck. In the hospital, I went through depression and thought I was losing some of the person I’d become. I learned later that for all the negativity that I first experienced when I had my injury, so many positive things had evolved.

From my experience, I learned how fragile life really was, and how lucky we all were to have it. I learned that people who experienced severe injuries, birth defects and/or other medical challenges tended to be more aware and more conscious of how precious life was than able bodied people were.

The 9Lives crew wants to help you sink your claws into the outdoors!

The 9Lives crew wants to help you sink your claws into the outdoors!

I had a titanium cage inserted in my neck. I was in the hospital for three weeks, bedridden and in rehab for three months. After that, I regained full use of my body. Two years following my accident, I worked in the 2010 Winter Olympics held in Vancouver and Whistler, British Columbia, and worked part-time with the Paralympic Games. That’s where I saw paralympians in wheelchairs performing awesome feats of strength and endurance while demonstrating tremendous athletic skills.

From those athletes, I learned what was possible for individuals with physical challenges, and how perception of the physically challenged and what they could do had changed so drastically over the last few years.

After that experience at the Winter Olympics, I wondered, “If these wheelchair athletes can accomplish amazing feats of strength, endurance and courage, what can they and others with physical challenges possibly accomplish? Can they fly through the air like a BASE jumper and jump from fixed objects while wearing a packed parachute? Can they skydive or bungee jump? Can they white water raft? Can they ride all terrain vehicles to the tops of mountains?” I decided they could if I helped to make these adventures possible.

See how 9Lives Adventures began:

The best way to get in touch with us is through the 9Lives Adventures, Inc.’s webpage. Please feel free to contact Karim as well.

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Another Front Page!- North Shore News- 04/12/2011

Posted on December 12, 2011 by 9Lives_Wildcat

                                                            

 

<-CLICK ON ANY OF THE PHOTOS TO BE DIRECTED TO THE ONLINE ARTICLE ->

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CHRIS BROWN CONTEST- RULES AND REGULATIONS

Posted on December 8, 2011 by 9Lives_Wildcat

Official Rules and Regulations

No Purchase Necessary to Enter this Sweepstakes

§  9Lives Adventures Inc presents “Ride With Chris Brown” Video Contest (“Contest”) is offered and open to legal residents of Canada and the United States, who are 18 years or older as of 12/01/2011. Participation constitutes entrant’s full and unconditional agreement to and acceptance of these Official Rules.

 

§  1. HOW TO ENTER: Between December 8, 2011 at 12:01 a.m. Pacific Standard Time (“PST”) and 11:59 p.m. PST on January 31, 2012, a qualified participant or representative may go to www.facebook.com/9lives.page or alternatively go to www.9livesadventures.com, and click on the “RIDE WITH CHRIS BROWN – VIDEO CONTEST” link to access the Contest Page. If you are not yet a fan of 9Lives Adventures Facebook Page, become a fan by “liking” the page then complete and submit an online official entry form and upload your video using the “Submit Video” link. Your video submission must include (a) “Wildcat Nickname” in title of video, (b) a brief description or story of the applicants’ accident and limitation issue(s), (c) Why the applicant should ride with Chris Brown, and (d) a special talent. You must have expressed permission from the videographer and any persons who appear in the video before submitting it. Videos may not include obscene or offensive material or defame any person, or otherwise infringe on any person’s proprietary rights. All online entries must be received by 11:59 p.m. PST on January 31, 2012. No other form of Internet/e-mail entry will be accepted. Limit one entry of per person or e-mail address. By participating in this Contest, entrants agree to be bound by these official rules and the decisions of the Sponsors. All video entries become the property of the Sponsors and may be used for promotional materials and will not be returned.

 

§  2. WINNER SELECTION: To be eligible for the Grand Prize package, the winner must have met Sponsor criteria for having an accident or illness causing long-term “limited mobility”.  Limited Mobility is defined as: mobility impairment that has been caused by disease, an accident, or a congenital disorder and may be the result from neuro-muscular and orthopaedic impairments, to include conditions, but not limited to, spinal cord injury, paralysis, muscular dystrophy, cerebral palsy, and hearing or visual impairment. The top ten (10) video submissions of all entries received will be selected by the Sponsors on February 1, 2012. Finalists will be notified by e-mail and their video submissions posted on the 9Lives Adventures Facebook page. The Grand Prize Winners will be selected based on fan voting from Sponsor chosen eligible entries received. Public voting will be open from 12:00p.m. PST on February 1, 2012 until 11:59p.m. PST on February 14, 2012 (the “Voting Period”). Fans may vote for a video by ‘liking’ the video submission of their choice. Winner Confirmation: 1. Following the close of the Voting Period, the four (4) eligible entries that receive the most ‘likes’ will be declared the Grand Prize Winners. In the event of a tie or ties in the number of votes an entry receives, Sponsor will do a random drawing to determine the prize winner. The selected winners will be notified by email. To be confirmed a winner, a selected entrant must respond to the email notification within five (5) business days of it being sent. If any selected entrant cannot be contacted and confirmed a winner as above, his/her entitlement to receive a prize may be forfeited, and prize may be awarded to an alternate eligible entrant. No change of date, substitution or transfer of prize is permitted, but the Sponsor reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to substitute all or part of the advertised prize with another prize of equal value should the advertised prize become unavailable for any reason. If an eligible Canadian resident wins the Grand Prize, they will be required to answer, unaided, a mathematical skill-testing question.

 

§  3. GRAND PRIZE: The Grand Prize consists of: transportation to and from Vancouver, BC to Whistler, BC, shared hotel accommodations, snowmobile rental and guided tour with Chris Brown, and meals. Airfare or travel/transfer costs to and from Vancouver, BC from Winners place of residence to participate in Grand Prize package is NOT included. Costs for additional entertainment or personal expenses are at the sole responsibility of the Winner. Odds of winning will depend on the total number of eligible entries received. Trip is subject to availability and other restrictions. Winner must be able to complete and attend the trip on March 9, 2012 to March 11, 2012. If winner is unavailable at such time, prize will be forfeited in its entirety without compensation of any kind. Winners must travel together on same itinerary as determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion. Minors under the age of 18 are not permitted to enter or win Contest prize package.

 

§  4. GENERAL CONDITIONS: All applicable federal, state and local taxes on prizes, including sales tax, and all expenses not specified herein associated with claiming/use/acceptance prize is the sole responsibility of the Winner. Grand prize winners must sign and return an affidavit of eligibility, a liability release, and, where lawful, publicity release. Grand Prize winner may also be required to sign additional documentation from the Sponsor and/or to provide the Sponsor with written authorization from a licensed physician as a pre-condition to taking trip. In the event of any noncompliance with these requirements (as applicable), the Grand Prize will be forfeited and an alternate winner selected from all remaining eligible entries received for drawing. By participating, the entrant releases and agrees to hold harmless 9Lives Adventures Inc, affiliates, subsidiaries, prize suppliers, advertising and promotion agencies and their respective directors, officers, employees, representatives and agents from any and all liability for any injuries, losses or damages of any kind to persons and/or property arising from acceptance, possession, use/misuse of any prize or participation in this Contest. By accepting the Grand Prize, where legal, the winner grants to the Sponsor the right to use the winner’s name, picture, voice, likeness and information for advertising/promotional/trade purposes, and any and all rights to such use, without additional consideration.

 

§  5. LIMITATIONS OF LIABILITY: The Sponsor is not responsible for injury or damage to the participants’ or to any other person’s personal property related to or resulting from participating in this Contest or downloading materials from or use of the 9Lives Adventures web site or Facebook Contest page.  The Sponsor is not responsible for any illness or injury resulting from participation in the Contest. By participating in the Contest, each participant agrees: (I) to be bound by these rules, including, without limitation, all documentation and all applicable laws; (II) to waive any rights to claim ambiguity with respect to these rules; (III) waive all of the participants rights to bring any claim, action or proceeding against any of the contest entities; and (IV) to release each of the contest entities and all their respective directors, officers, employees, agents, representatives,  and/or other authorized designees from any liability (including, but not limited to) liability for property loss, damage, personal injury, bodily injury, death, loss, expense, accident, delay, inconvenience or irregularity, that may arise in connection with, as applicable: (A) entrants’ participation or inability  to participate in the Contest (and/or any parts thereof); (B) Ambiguous judging criteria; (C) typographical errors in the rules or in any Contest-related promotional materials; (D) acceptance of possession, defects in, use, misuse or inability to use any prize (or any component thereof); (E) any change in prizing as permitted hereunder or otherwise due to reasons beyond any of the Contest entities control; (F) human error; (G) any technical malfunctions or unavailability of any web site, telephone network, computer, online system, computer dating mechanism, computer equipment, software, internet or wireless service provider; (H) interruption or inability to access the Contest site, any Contest-related web pages, or any online service via the internet, or wireless service die to hardware or software compatibility or other problems; (I) any lost/delayed data transmissions, omissions, interruptions, defects, and/or any other errors or malfunctions; (J) any wrongful, negligent, or unauthorized, act or omission on the party of any other entrant or individual purporting to act on behalf of such entrant and/or any of the Contest entities and/or any of their agents, employees or authorized designees; (K) any wrongful, negligent, or unauthorized act or omission on the part of any other person or entity not an employee of any of the Contest entities; and/or (L) any other cause, condition or event whatsoever beyond the control of any one or more of the contest entities. Each winner hereby acknowledges that the Contest entities have neither made nor are in any manner responsible or liable for any warranty, representation or guarantee, express or implied, in fact or in law, relative to any prize or component thereof.

 

§   6. SPONSOR INFORMATION: For additional information or media requests, visit the 9Lives Adventures Inc website at www.9livesadventures.com or contact Alyssa Bérard at aly...@9livesadventures.com.

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RIDE WITH CHRIS BROWN- VIDEO CONTEST

Posted on December 8, 2011 by 9Lives_Wildcat

9Lives is so proud to offer an opportunity for some of our wildcats to win an ALL EXPENSES PAID EXPERIENCE to Ride With Chris Brown (Pro Slednecks XGAMES snowmobiler)!

Back in February of 2011, Chris got in an accident that left him off his feet and in a wheelchair for several months in recovery. This experience had given Chris a good understanding of how fragile life can be. Furthermore, Chris would like to give back to his experience setting up a personalized tour for some 9Lives wildcats who have shared the same feelings and experiences.

We at 9Lives would like to match his generous offer and add to this experience by setting up the contest winners with round trip transportation (Vancouver – Whistler), accessible accommodation (3days/ 2nights), and more VIP events and activities.

This package is worth approximately $1,500 in free giveaways per person and subject to FOUR lucky individuals!

If you, or someone you know, deserves to get out and smell the RUSH, please review contest details ans submit your video!

TO SUBMIT YOUR VIDEO FOR A CHANCE TO WIN;      APPLY HERE

                                                                                                       Rules & Regulations

 

 

 

 

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LEARN TO FLY FRIDAYS!

Posted on November 24, 2011 by 9Lives_Wildcat


9LIVES ADVENTURES is proud to collaborate with FLY ZONE BODYFLIGHT to provide all of you a chance to feel weightlessness as we learn to fly in the ONLY WIND TUNNEL IN CANADA!

WHEN: DECEMBER 9TH, 2011
PICK UP LOCATION: DOWNTOWN VANCOUVER, WATERFRONT STATION (STEAMWORKS PARKING LOT)
TIME: 5:00PM – 11:00PM +
PRICE: $80!

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT: Regular price to try the wind tunnel is $60…
With 9Lives ($80), you will get the wind-tunnel flight.. AS WELL AS:

- 48PASSENGER PARTY BUS
- LIVE DJ @ THE FLY ZONE REDBULL LOUNGE
- A BBQ FEAST
- COOL BEVIES (BYOB)
- AFTER PARTY TBA
- AND ONE AMAZING GROUP EXPERIENCE!

For more information and sign up, please check out our facebook event here:
http://www.facebook.com/#!/events/296560243701285/
                            OR
               EMAIL: BOOKINGS@9LIVESADVENTURES.COM

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