CINCINNATI — Hiking can be one of the most therapeutic activities to explore the outdoors. One Ohio faith-based organization is giving people with disabilities a chance to experience it. Luke Macbrair, 19, is one of those hikers.
Hiking is something his mom Janice said wasn’t possible before.
“We typically walk with him on a daily basis and we’ll go to local parks, but a lot of these parks as you know have trails and when we look at them we know we can’t do that because of his wheelchair does not go down that,” said Macbrair.
But now with the help from Luke 5 Adventures, Luke has the opportunity to make the impossible, possible. Luke 5 Adventures is a faith-based organization that gives individuals with disabilities the opportunity to go hiking. The hiker is strapped into an all-terrain wheelchair and carried along the way by volunteers.
“With this, it’s like they got the carriers and they have all the support people we need to help make this happen so we’re thrilled,” she said.
With one volunteer at the back of the wheelchair and one at the front, Luke is taking a bumpy ride through Winton Woods with the others. He’s a part of a group from the Cincinnati Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired.
“We’re always curious to what does he actually see, but he feels everything, so the breeze, the sun and I know he knows the brightness and I’m sure he sees some things,” she said.
The mile-long hike through the woods was nothing short of a good experience for Luke.
From the breathtaking views and fresh air, his mom said it was a trip worthwhile.
“For the most part I think it’s going to be a fun adventure for him,” she said. “I think he’s going to meet new people and experience a trail that he’s never been on before.”
Luke is one of dozens of people to take part in these monthly hikes over the years, and Janice hopes to see more people experience it.
“We actually know some of his friends that I think would benefit from this too that aren’t within this group, but other groups,” she said.
