Posted on 06/09/2014 4:30:06 PM PDT by FlJoePa
Balance is one of the many fundamentals of life. Its a life-saver, gravity-tester, and all around great idea, really. Its also been one thing that senior Ross Holland, set to challenge the world record for longest standing wheelchair wheelie today, has always been good at.
I mean, it really makes sense, Holland said, balancing on his two wheels when I sat to interview him. Im just sitting on an axle. And Ive been doing this for a while.
Holland suffered from a lawnmower accident when he was young that demanded the removal of both of his legs below the knees, but hes not in bad spirits about it. From poster child of athletic prosthetic leg companies to all-around swell guy, the Littlestown native doesnt seem to mind his situation. Maybe youve seen him around campus at an anatomically correct seven feet tall with his prosthetic legs on, he would be hard to miss.
Today, those good spirits will come in handy, as he attempts to break the world record of 10 hours for the worlds longest still wheelie. That means Ross will have to stay in on spot, on a wheelie for ten hours.
I can do it, he said, a slight smile creeping across his face. I just need to work out the logistics of certain necessities. Like food, and the bathroom. Details, really.
Holland has the plan and the training to back his claim. Hes done wheelies on his wheelchair for his entire life, and has probably come close to setting the record already, without knowing it.
Yeah, I have done them for quite a while. Ive done them for long periods of time too, not just here and there, he said. Definitely for whole movies. And thats my plan really, Im going to sit and watch the entirety of The Lord of the Rings.
His task began today at 1:45 p.m. If Ross does break the 10-hour mark, hes going to just keep going.
I want to be there for days, he says, laughing. I dont want anyone to break this for a while.
As of this writing, hes approaching the three-hour mark. Follow along with Holland at the events Twitter page, @wheelbeawhile.
I’m just impressed w/ the balance. Not something everyone has. I watch for it a lot in golf swings. The guys w/ the best balance are usually the best players.
In highschool, I worked at a rental place that had a wheelchair. It is easy and extremely fun to balance in a wheelchair.
BTW - the kid broke the 10 hour record. He went 50 hours!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.