BC Parks Foundation

TrailRider Transforms Park Accessibility: From Everest Base Camp to Local Trails

August 28, 2024

by BC Parks Foundation

TrailRider Transforms Park Accessibility: From Everest Base Camp to Local Trails

The TrailRider, a made-in-BC all-terrain wheelchair, continues to break boundaries and redefine park accessibility.

Invented by former Vancouver mayor and founder of British Columbia Mobility Opportunities Society (BCMOS) Sam Sullivan, the TrailRider has helped nature lovers explore some of the world's most iconic and challenging landscapes, including Everest Base Camp, the Grand Canyon, the West Coast Trail, and Mount Kilimanjaro.

Hikers access Everest Base Camp thanks to the TrailRider (Photo courtesy of BCMOS)

The TrailRider helps this hiker summit Mount Kilimanjaro (Photo courtesy of BCMOS)

In 1995, Sullivan conceived of the idea of a one-wheeled vehicle with handles front and back. The concept was brought to life with the help of a Tetra Society volunteer who met with Sam over dinner and got inspired by a sketch on a napkin. He built the first TrailRider using a lounge chair, a wheelbarrow wheel, and two handles.

Since then, this simple yet innovative design has been refined a few times but has remained largely unchanged for nearly 30 years. It combines the stability, comfort and support of a wheelchair with the ruggedness of a mountain bike, allowing individuals with mobility challenges to explore areas previously deemed inaccessible.

Wheels Up on BC’s Trails

Recently, BC Parks Foundation’s Discover Parks Ambassadors collaborated with the BC Mobility Opportunities Society (BCMOS) to introduce the TrailRider to park visitors, further igniting the movement towards inclusivity in outdoor recreation.

“Working with BCMOS to both promote connection to the outdoors and to bring awareness to how to make our parks more welcoming is so important,” says Simran Sarai, Discover Parks Coordinator for BC Parks Foundation.

“These collaborations help normalize the conversations about what we can do to make parks more accessible and to get more folks into nature.”

A TrailRider user takes in the views at Golden Ears Park (Photo courtesy of BCMOS)

The TrailRider helps this team traverse Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge (Photo courtesy of BCMOS)

David Ostro, Operations & Special Projects with BCMOS, says the TrailRider's impact on individual lives is profound. For many, it represents the difference between isolation and engagement, between observing nature from a distance and fully participating in its beauty.

“People come back from their hikes with big smiles on their faces and lots of great photos and just lifelong memories of really nice experiences,” he says.

“Bringing the TrailRider into BC Parks with BC Parks Foundation alerts people to the fact that these possibilities exist. It’s been heartening to see the progress that accessibility and inclusion have experienced in the public consciousness over the years."

The success of the TrailRider highlights the power of community and collaboration, and we celebrate the adventures, smiles, and unforgettable memories that it’s enabled on the trails. With the right tools, adventure has no limits!