As originally reported in WWVA, West Virginian Sib Weatherford spent one afternoon this fall doing what nobody though possible: he slid 400 feet down the New River Gorge’s high-line in a new challenge that involves that descending from the bridge down through the gorge. In a wheelchair.
Sib described his experience going down the highline as “relaxing.” He said when you’re out there hanging with supports, “you have the opportunity to look around all over the Gorge, and I find it really peaceful.”
At first when his friend suggested he try it out he scoffed at the idea. He said, “You know I can’t.” He has been in a wheelchair for the last eight years due to a rare neurological disorder called chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) in which the nerves are inflamed, which damages the speed of nerve signals transmission. This causes weakness and lack of feelings sometimes inhibiting walking, use of body parts, and difficulty with movement. This day though, Weatherford’s friend said “Yes you can.”
Making these type of challenges happen takes effort and team work to coordinate. Weatherford’s friend helped plan the event and he went for the ride with him. His wife Lauren explained how proud she was of him for always pushing past barriers others might create for him due to his disability. Lauren explained how he never has let himself fall into the darkness of the situation. She spoke with admiration of his choosing to find the little bit of light and realize how much he still has to live in life.
In contrast, Sib was modest about his strength. He put it plainly: “Everybody has issues to deal with. We’ve all got things we have to overcome, and this is just mine. You have to get up everyday and keep rolling.”
