Man Rides Power Wheelchair Across Country For Paralysis Awareness
MANHATTAN BEACH, CA – The founder of the non-profit Next Step departed from Manhattan Beach Monday morning to begin his cross-country Ride for Paralysis, a 2,600 mile journey in his power wheelchair to raise awareness and raise funds for those living with paralysis.
Janne Kouri is the founder of Next Step, the non-profit that makes rehab and fitness accessible and affordable to individuals living with paralysis. Kouri will be traveling all the way to Washington, D.C. as a unique fundraising tactic.
“Our goal with the Los Angeles to D.C. Ride for Paralysis is to get local communities activated and inspired to open new paralysis recovery centers in order to ensure that every community in the US has the resources and services that the paralysis community needs and deserves,” Kouri told Patch.
Below is a Q&A with Kouri, who discusses how he came up with the idea for the cross-country trip, why exposure for paralysis is important and his experience founding NextStep.
Emily Holland: How are you preparing for your cross-country trip? What are your strategies?
Janne Kouri: I have been exercising every morning on the pier and every day at NextStep with my incredible staff. It has been a tremendous amount of logistical work with my team because none of us have ever done anything like this before.
EH: How did you come up with the idea?
JK: A group of friends rode bikes from Denver to LA to raise money for scholarship fund for wounded service members of NextStep. After hearing all their stories and seeing how much fun they had, I immediately knew that I had to go on an adventure of my own. I can’t wait to experience this amazing country from such a unique perspective, and I am looking forward to meeting and helping so many amazing people along the way.
EH: Why is awareness for those who have been paralyzed important?
JK: There are 6 million people in the U.S. that live with paralysis. On average, insurance only covers 36 days of rehab and afterwards people don’t have access to progressive rehab and fitness. When this happens, the likelihood of recovery is very low and the likelihood of secondary life-threatening complications is extremely high. In addition, there are countless challenges when it comes to accessibility and the cost of living with paralysis. Until I experienced going through the healthcare system, I had no idea these issues existed. Everyone deserves access to the best in healthcare.
EH: What inspired you to start Next Step?
JK: I was extremely fortunate to go to the best rehab center and have the best doctors and therapists in the world after my injury. I also had an incredible support network. While I was in the hospital, I learned that most insurance providers did not cover the cutting-edge technology that I had access to, and that most people did not have the kind of support that I did.
I realized that the services and products that are the most helpful for those with paralysis, are very costly and not everyone is able to afford it. This is what sparked the idea for NextStep. Our vision is to give people living with paralysis the opportunity to live long, healthy and happy lives. Our paralysis recovery centers are affordable, have state-of-the-art amenities and have a supportive community providing hope after paralysis. By offering standardized activity-based therapy programs and interventions, based on research; our center provides the best chance for recovery, independence and health.
EH: How can we follow your journey while you travel across the country?
JK: You can hop on a bike and join us on the road! Or you can follow us at:
Learn more about NextStep below:
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