The Impossible Dream Became Possible
John E. Phillips 08.13.12
With the blue light still flashing on the state trooper’s cruiser, after pulling-over Chet Dyreson in his gasoline-powered wheelchair on a major interstate, the trooper said, “Sir, I don’t think you can drive a wheelchair on a public highway, here in California. Where are you going?” Dyreson answered, “Washington D.C.”
In years past, Dyreson had enjoyed participating in motocross races along with his family who raced every weekend. But, at one particular race in 2000, Dyreson crashed and injured his T1 through T5 vertebrae in his spinal cord and became paralyzed.
After all the surgeries and rehabs, Dyreson realized he would have to spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair. Even though he couldn’t ride anymore or go off-road, he still went to motocross races with his family and repaired and replaced damaged and broken parts for the riders. But, he couldn’t get out on the track and repair motorcycles where they broke-down. That’s when he decided he’d build himself a gasoline-powered wheelchair with all-terrain tires, much like a motocross bike that could go anywhere and do anything. He first used a 250cc Kawasaki engine that had been designed and built for a John Deere ATV. The only problem he had with his ATV wheelchair was that his able-bodied friends always wanted to ride in it.
Flash back to the interstate, in November of 2010. The state trooper told Dyreson once he pulled him over in his gasoline-powered ATV wheelchair, “Let me check the regulations on driving a wheelchair on the interstate.” Dyreson explains, “To prove the reliability of my wheelchair, I decided to make a cross-country trip of 4,000 miles, from my home in California to Washington D.C. If the wheelchair didn’t break-down on that trip, then I knew there was very-little chance it would leave me stranded in the wilderness.” With a 3-1/2-gallon gas tank, Dyreson’s range was 350 miles on each fill-up.
As the officer walked from his cruiser back to Dyreson sitting on the side of the road in his wheelchair, he said, “Mr. Dyreson, I clocked you running 55-miles per hour in that wheelchair. I found out there’s no law against driving a wheelchair on the interstate. So, you have a good day, and good luck on your trip.” Dyreson completed the trip without a single breakdown, and since then, he’s participated in a wide-variety of off-road races and motocross events and traveling to fishing spots in his gasoline-powered ATV wheelchair.
To learn more about this amazing man and the ATV wheelchairs he creates for the outdoors, go to Chet Dyreson’s website at http://www.wheelingtocuresci.org. To read more stories about amazing people who have overcome their injuries, get the new Kindle eBooks, “Moving Forward: The Stories of Hometown Heroes” and “Courage: The Stories of Hometown Heroes,” both by John E. Phillips. Go to http://www.amazon.com/kindle-ebooks, type in the names of these books, and download them to your Kindle and/or download a Kindle app for your iPad, Smartphone or computer.
John, the 2008 Crossbow Communicator of the year and the 2007 Legendary Communicator chosen for induction into the National Fresh Water Hall of Fame, is a freelance writer (over 6,000 magazine articles for about 100 magazines and several thousand newspaper columns published), magazine editor, photographer for print media as well as industry catalogues (over 25,000 photos published), lecturer, outdoor consultant, marketing consultant, book author and daily internet content provider with an overview of the outdoors.
Phillips has been a contributor to many national magazines, has been affiliated with 27 radio stations across Alabama serving as their outdoor editor and wrote for a weekly syndicated column, "Alabama Outdoors," for 38-Alabama newspapers for more than 13 years. Phillips was Outdoor Editor for the "Birmingham Post-Herald" for 24 years. Phillips was also the executive editor for "Great Days Outdoors" magazine for 3 years.
The author of almost 30 books on the outdoors, Phillips is a founding member of the Professional Outdoor Media Association (POMA) and an active member of the Southeastern Outdoors Press Association (SEOPA). Phillips also is the owner of Night Hawk Publications, a marketing and publishing firm, and president of Creative Concepts, an outdoor consulting group.
Phillips conducts seminars across the nation at colleges in freelance writing, photography and outdoor education besides teaching courses in how to sell what you write to writers' groups. Phillips received his photography training as a still-lab photo specialist for six years in the Air Force. He was the chief photographer for Mannequins, Inc., a Birmingham modeling agency, for 11 years.
While serving as 2nd Vice President of the Alabama Wildlife Federation, Phillips was in charge of all press releases for the organization as well as serving as Chairman of Alabama's Big Buck Contest, which he founded more than 30 years ago. He also was president of the Alabama Sportsman's Association for three years.
Phillips is the recipient of a Certificate of Merit from the Governor of Alabama and the Department of Conservation for his work in the outdoor field. Phillips is vitally interested in the outdoors and travels the nation collecting personalities, stories and how-to information for his articles and features.
EDUCATION: B.S. degree from the University of West Alabama with a physical education major and a history minor.
EXPERIENCE: 10 years parttime and fulltime physical director for YMCAs and 34 years as a freelance writer, photographer, editor, book author, lecturer and daily-content provider for websites. Currently, Phillips is a field editor for Game and Fish Publications; serves on the editorial board of Grandview Media; is a regular contributor to 12 internet magazines and a daily content provider for 8 websites.
WRITING AWARDS: Runnerup - Best Outdoor Magazine Feature - 1981 - SEOPA; Certificate of Merit - Awarded by Alabama's Governor for writings on conservation; Most Outstanding Sports Writer in Southeast - 1983 & 1984; Best Outdoor Feature in Alabama, 1987 - Alabama Sportswriters' Association 3rd Place; Best Book of the Year - 1989 - SEOPA; 2007 - inducted into the National Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame as a Legendary Communicator; 2008 - received award naming him 2008 Crossbow Communicator of the Year from the Crossbow Manufacturers' Association; 2009 - GAMMA Honorable Mention for Consumer/Paid Best Essay for July/August 2008 in "Southern Sporting Journal."
