forgave me eventually, but he never let me give him another un- derdog. That memory stuck with me, which is why, as we prepared to send Sam soaring, I felt both excited and terrified. No one should have to wait 41 years for their first underdog. But I also didn’t want him to relive Pete’s fate. THE FIRST UNDERDOG With the Extreme Motus chair rigged into a swing beneath the train bridge, we gave Sam a push. The momentum built, the ropes tightened, and suddenly it was time. I sprinted forward, ducked under the arc of the swing, and Sam shot upward, laugh- ing with pure delight. It worked. The world’s first underdog in an all-terrain wheel- chair. POWERED BY LAUGHTER Sam’s laugh is more than just a sound—it’s the fuel that pow- ers our company. And that day, it was in full force. In fact, he laughed so hard that the chair seemed to become self-propelled for a moment, thanks to a perfectly timed fart. That’s how we know an adventure has been a success: when the laughter gets so strong it takes on a life of its own. No records were broken that day—at least not officially—but something more important happened. A 41-year wait ended. A childhood milestone was finally claimed. And once again, the Ex- treme Motus chair proved that joy doesn’t have to stop where the pavement does.
Sam and I had been dreaming of taking the Extreme Motus into Zion for years. And while Angel’s Landing—with its sheer drop-offs and chains bolted into cliff walls—wasn’t in the cards for us, we set our sights on something equally iconic: The Nar- rows. A SHUTTLE PROBLEM SOLVED Zion is a popular park, so private vehicles aren’t allowed in most areas during peak season. Instead, a shuttle system carries visitors into the canyon. My biggest concern, honestly, wasn’t the hike itself—it was the logistics of getting Sam and the chair onto a crowded shuttle bus. The plan sounded complicated: unload the chair, fold it up, maneuver Sam into a bus seat with the help of our friend Dave, then carry the cushion and wheelchair separately while packed in with hundreds of other visitors. Just thinking about it was ex- hausting. Fortunately, our friend Dave had the good sense to suggest asking a ranger about alternatives. At the visitor center, we ex- plained our situation. The ranger nodded, jotted down a gate code, and handed it to us with a smile. “Go ahead,” he said. Minutes later, we drove straight into the canyon, parking Sam’s adventure van at the Temple of Sinawava—the trailhead to The Narrows. Ours was the only private vehicle in the lot, and the adventure was about to begin. INTO THE GATEWAY The Narrows hike begins with the Riverside Walk, a paved path that runs along the Virgin River and snakes between tower- ing cliffs. This portion of the trail is wheelchair accessible, and for most visitors it’s the “gateway” to the canyon. For us, it was just the warm-up. Even here, the scenery was jaw-dropping. The Virgin Riv- er shimmered beside us, canyon walls soared hundreds of feet overhead, and the air buzzed with the conversations of hikers
eager to plunge into the water ahead. And then we reached the river itself.
ROLLING THROUGH THE VIRGIN RIVER The Narrows is less of a trail and more of a riverbed walk. De- pending on the season, the water ranges from ankle-deep to chest-high, and the current can be swift in places. We had seen pictures from customers who had already used the Motus in the Narrows, so we knew it was possible—but knowing something in theory is very different from pushing your best friend into a slot canyon river. The big balloon tires worked beautifully. In shallow water, they rolled across rocks and gravel. In deeper pools, they began to bob and float slightly, almost taking on a life of their own. Sam grinned as the chair rocked gently with the current.“It’s smoother than the trail,”I told him, half-surprised. He nodded in agreement. But as with all our adventures, there were moments that test-
YouTube Video: Underdog Story https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dy0ypwXdzAI
ZION NATIONAL PARK – INTO THE NARROWS Zion National Park is one of Utah’s crown jewels—visited by more than five million people each year, its red cliffs and sculpted canyons draw travelers from all over the world. Hikes like Angel’s Landing and The Narrows are legendary, bucket-list experienc- es for many.
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