United Access Employee Cycles Across America

Adam Lane embarked on a 60-day cycle from San Diego to New York. It was a journey that had been many years in the making. He took time out to share his story during his preparation for the big ride.

A former paramedic, Adam was paralyzed from the belly button down after a motorcycle accident in 2007. He turned to exercise to help him through the challenges of recovery and fell in love with cycling. He raced competitively for five years and qualified four times for national, and twice for world triathlon championships. In 2010, the idea first came to him that riding across the country would be an incredible way to experience the sights.

It was another ten years before he began training to put the dream into action. Ten years was a lot of time to piece a dream together, and Adam’s mind revolved around making an impact that might help others and carry greater significance.

After all, he had originally become a paramedic because he wanted to help people. That vision never changed; he was just in a place to do it differently. Adam is currently the General Manager of United Access in Oklahoma City, OK. But he was quick to humbly clarify that he was providing goods and services. “I made recommendations that could open someone’s eyes to the possibilities.” Calling it anything more than that, he said, “takes the power away from the person doing the real work.”

Adam expressed gratitude to United Spinal Association, United Access, and BraunAbility for their support in all forms. “Not only did they give me the time off work…they saw the importance and provided the time and the support of people reaching out with stops along the way. I’m so thankful.” He completed the journey with the help of a BraunAbility Turny Evo seat, which made it easier for him to transfer in and out of his Dodge Caravan minivan, saving the shoulder strength he preferred to use for cycling.

Cycling Across America to Benefit Others Learning to Live with Spinal Injuries

Adam felt that his job, his love for cycling, and his experiences as a man with paraplegia placed him in a position to make the ride across the country a reality. But even during his intense preparation, he shied away from focusing on his remarkable personal fitness achievement and placed the focus on others.

Raising Awareness for Spinal Injuries

With his ride, Adam raised funds and awareness for United Spinal Association. He looked forward to meeting people of all abilities along his journey, sharing their stories, and telling his own.

He wanted people to know how profoundly fitness had impacted his recovery and his life. He wanted others to see that they didn’t have to ride across America to experience the benefits of daily exercise for mind and body wellness.

He also wanted others with disabilities to see that they could do many – if not all – of the things they wanted to do. Since his injury, he had met and married his wife, found a rewarding job that supported his family, purchased a home, become a yoga instructor, and discovered his love of cycling. Again, he was humble in saying that he hadn’t done anything incredible and just wanted others to know they could do it too. He got choked up as he talked about missing his wife, Regina, and their three teenage daughters while on his cycling journey. “All the best things in my life have happened since my injury,” he shared.

Being an Advocate for the Wheelchair User Community

Despite his humility, Adam had been doing some truly impactful things long before this ride. He was active in advocacy for those with disabilities. He had served on the board of United Spinal Association since 2008 and had participated in the Mayor’s Committee for Disability Concerns. He had also been active in the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee for United Access. He hoped his ride would further shed light on the necessity for widespread accessibility and help normalize public perception of those with disabilities.