In 1984, Carlos Nunez was in graduate school studying psychology, with a focus on marriage and family therapy. He was working his way through school as a gymnastics coach. It was just a regular day. He and his team were visiting an elementary school to give a gymnastics exhibition.  Carlos ran toward the trampoline to perform a double front flip - a move he had done countless times. But this time he over spun his flip and landed on his head, causing his neck to break at the C6-C7 when he landed. Carlos was immediately paralyzed. And thus began his life in a wheelchair.

Initially, doctors told him that his fracture was so severe that he wouldn’t be able to use a manual chair and would have to drive from a motorized chair. At the time Carlos’ movements were significantly limited, but Carlos always insisted that eventually he would be able to use a manual chair and be able to transfer to drive.  Getting used to that manual chair forced him to embrace an entirely new way of life.

Back then – wheelchairs were extremely heavy and cumbersome.  Carlos watched with interest as they improved and he experimented with a number of models over the years. But it wasn’t until he learned about MAGICWHEELS that he believed there was a truly valuable solution.  The first time he rolled out of the shop to take them for a spin he maneuvered up an incline that had previously been impossible to climb with his regular wheels. He was hooked.

Today, Carlos is going places he wouldn’t have gone before. He travels extensively, flying all over the United States, Mexico and beyond.  But it is when he is outdoors, navigating on different terrains, that he feels truly liberated. “MAGICWHEELS gives me a sense of safety in knowing I can handle almost any obstacle,” he says. And he can do so on his own without having to rely on others. Today he has the freedom to explore. He no longer worries about getting stuck in the mud – literally.