One of the things I love about my job is the opportunity to meet so many interesting and inspiring people. Chris Kain is one of them. I’d love to tell you all about him and his daughter Kellisa, but I don’t have to because he’s already done that in his book Rugged Access for All: The Complete Guide to Pushiking America’s Diverse Trails. So I’m just going to tell you a little bit and then you can go read his book for the rest of his story.
Chris started following my blog several years ago when it was titled Travel 50 States with Kids. He was on a mission to visit all 50 states with his daughter Kellisa. But what made him different than my other readers was that his mission was a promise made to his infant daughter when she was struggling to survive. Kellisa was born with hydrocephalus and later developed cerebral palsy and epilepsy.
Those kinds of challenges might make you want to rethink your original goals, right? Well, eventually Chris did. Instead of just visiting all 50 states with Kellisa, he promised her they would go hiking in all 50 states. Wow! Just…wow! Chris coined the term “pushiking” for their style of hiking. He pushes Kellisa in a larger version of a jogging stroller.
At some point along the way, Chris contacted me and told me he was writing a book, and he asked if I would be willing to write an endorsement for the back of the book. Willing? I was honored and humbled. It took a few years for the book to be published, but it’s now hot off the press. And it shows that Chris is one of those people who doesn’t just say he’s going to do things–he actually does them.
Do you need that kind of inspiration in your life? I do. Chris’s book is part inspiration, part how-to. It includes a recommendation on a pushikable trail in each of the 50 states–one that Chris and Kellisa pushiked themselves.
Whether or not you have a loved one in a wheelchair, I think you’ll be inspired by Chris and Kellisa’s story. Here’s a link where you can buy it on Amazon.
Another way you can read it is to request that your local library buy a copy and then borrow it. Either way, I hope you’ll check it out.
You can read more about Chris and Kellisa at kellisaspath.com and christopherkain.com.
Want to read about more inspiring travelers? You might also be interested in:
Book Review – Changing Gears: A Family Odyssey to the End of the World by Nancy Sathre-Vogel
Disclosure: This post contains a link to Amazon, an affiliate. If you make a purchase, I will receive a small commission, at no additional cost to you.
