Backed by decades of experience producing exceptional clinical outcomes, Kintinu Telerehab connects recovery to everyday life. In this podcast, we explore hot topics in rehabilitation, the keys to personal growth and recovery, and how to apply it all to the real-world.
In this episode of Kintinu’d Conversations, Brad Dexter sits down with Ed Armstrong of QLI's Life Path Services department. Ed's relentless passion and personal connection to adaptive sports will captivate you.
We venture into the nuances of QLI's adaptive sports program, showcasing the innovative ways Ed has been instrumental in helping clients carve out their new normal. You'll hear about the emotional hurdles faced and the creative solutions employed to get clients back to activities they once loved. But it doesn't stop there. Ed also talks about about the supportive strategies available for clients to acquire necessary equipment. Let's get inspired together by the power of adaptive sports in fostering personal growth and reigniting joy after life-altering events.
Listen to the episode on Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, and Buzzsprout, or on your favorite podcast platform.
Backed by decades of experience producing exceptional clinical outcomes, Kintinu Telerehab connects recovery to everyday life. In this podcast, we explore hot topics in rehabilitation, the keys to personal growth and recovery, and how to apply it all to the real-world.
In this episode of Kintinu’d Conversations, Brad Dexter sits down with Ed Armstrong of QLI's Life Path Services department. Ed's relentless passion and personal connection to adaptive sports will captivate you.
We venture into the nuances of QLI's adaptive sports program, showcasing the innovative ways Ed has been instrumental in helping clients carve out their new normal. You'll hear about the emotional hurdles faced and the creative solutions employed to get clients back to activities they once loved. But it doesn't stop there. Ed also talks about about the supportive strategies available for clients to acquire necessary equipment. Let's get inspired together by the power of adaptive sports in fostering personal growth and reigniting joy after life-altering events.
Listen to the episode on Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, and Buzzsprout, or on your favorite podcast platform.
Welcome to continued conversations where we explore hot topics and rehabilitation, the keys to personal growth and how to apply it all to the real world. Hey, welcome back to the conversation. This is Brad Dexter, and I have Claire Thielen in studio with me as well, and we're welcoming our guest, ed Armstrong, today. How's it going? It's going good. Thanks for having me. Awesome. So before we jump into who in the world Ed is and what he does at QLI, just have a quick question for you guys to get us going. Can you talk about maybe the biggest adventure you've been on in your life so far?
Speaker 2:Oh gosh, it must be the. I did a bike ride when I was in my early 20s and flew over to New Zealand and cycled the full length of the country, all the way from the top of the North Island down, took a ferry across to the South Island and then bike rode all the way down and it took about three months so by cycling about 50 miles a day and then camping, and we didn't take the most direct route. So we're just kind of navigating around and just exploring the country. So that was quite the adventure.
Speaker 1:I feel like I need to pick your brain more and put all of that on my bucket list. I would love to go to New Zealand someday, and doing it in that way would be really fun.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, it was an incredible experience. The scene was amazing, there was many people there. There was one time I decided I was just going to have lunch and just got off my bike in the middle of the road. Had my lunch finished, came on a ride and didn't see a car. The whole time it was just the road was mine.
Speaker 1:Were you on your own or with other people? I was with a friend at the time. Okay, yeah, that's awesome. That sounds like a lot of fun, claire. What about you?
Speaker 3:It's an easy answer, because I think I only have one. But when this was probably my early 20s as well, I did like a six day long camping excursion from Utah to Colorado, and so we did this like we'd raft and then we'd camp and we'd like pack up all our gear and put it in the rafts and then we'd have to hike with it. And it was Okay, really fun, and I would do it again, but have not had the chance.
Speaker 1:Sadly, I don't think my adventure is nearly as big or cool as either of yours, but I was at Glacier National Park this is probably 15, 16 years ago now with a friend and we just probably four or five days. We camped and hiked. We did a I think it was like a 25 mile through hike one day, which was just a blast. But I would love, I'd love to do something longer, like a longer excursion of some kind. I've done some back like four-day backpacking trips in different spots, which have also been fun, but nothing with the same kind of scenery that Glacier had. It's just amazing. So all right with that. Ed, can you tell us a little bit about yourself? How long have you been at QLI? What's your role as a team member here? And then we'll dive into what that looks like on a regular basis.
Speaker 2:Sure Well, like I said, my name's Ed and originally from England. I used to be a personal trainer back in England and moved here in 2005. Worked at QLI for it must be 17 years now. I work in within the adaptive sports area, which is part of our Life Path Services Department at QLI.
Speaker 1:How would you describe Life Path Services?
Speaker 2:So Life Path is helping people return to their environment, their world, their lives, returning to family, important roles that they have in life. So it's really the understanding that we're all on a path through life. That's where the Life Path Services part comes from. Then something happens in accident or an injury was unexpected and people's Life Path changes. We're here to walk that path with them and help them find that new normal, that new life where they can access all of the important aspects of life, the things that make themselves again and they make them whole. It might look a little bit different, it might be some changes and some adjustments, but we want that good sense of well-being going forward as they return back home.
Speaker 1:That's awesome. When you say adaptive sports is part of our Life Path Services program, I think that's a really cool way to say it. But I think the unique thing about you is you've really had a passion for incorporating adaptive sports and recreation back into people's lives. Why are you so passionate about that? Where did that come from?
Speaker 2:I think it must come partly from my own interests. It's always been part of my life is to do these things, even though I don't have the same magnitude of adventures that I had in my 20s. All of the things that I'm doing now are with my kids. Last week one of my daughters we were working on riding the whole of the Wabash Trace Trail. We did another section, checked out the campsite, because that's a camping trip that Charlotte and I are going to do. Then the following day we went out and we kayaked a section of the Salt Creek down to the Platte River. We're still having adventures, but it's with my girls now.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's awesome. The passion is something that started out just in your life. It spilled over into your work and it's spilling over into your family.
Speaker 1:Yeah, as well, when I think of adaptive sports at QLI, while there's many people involved, it's really synonymous with at Armstrong in a lot of ways in my mind. I'm a few years behind you here, but I remember when maybe the few bikes that we had were stored in just like a little closet. That's what we had. I think your passion doesn't just spill over in your ideas, but also in your grittiness to get in and figure things out mechanically and to collaborate with lots of other people around QLI to make things happen. Why have you taken it that far?
Speaker 2:I think we've got a tremendous opportunity here at QLI to have ideas and we can take those ideas directly to the top. We have that freedom. We don't have that hierarchical system where we can't have ideas and chase them. So I think that the environment here at QLI has allowed the program to grow. We also have a very flat system. So I'm standing on the shoulders of all of the therapists here and all of the amazing fundraising that happens here. So one person can't do it, it's just being part of a team, and a team that allows, allows innovation and change.
Speaker 1:Absolutely so. Can you talk, talk to us a little bit about how the adaptive sports program has grown because of everything that you just said? I mean it's grown from maybe some yard games and and bicycles to what it is now. Can you talk about that for us?
Speaker 2:Yeah, you know, I think the approach that we take when we're making decisions at QLI is we like to work backwards and we like to ask ourselves why are we doing that? And one of the first things as we were developing our adaptive sports program we had to consider was how is this going to be truly entrenched into our clinical model and how does, how is it going to be part of life path services? So the first question that we always ask ourselves is is how is this activity, what does it relate to in a person's life that's truly important to them? We want to keep asking questions why. You know, for instance, if you were to find out that I went on a kayak trip last week, you'd say well, who did you go with? Why would, why was that important? And what we want to get to is a fundamental and and for me that would be something that I'm doing to spend time with my family. So it comes down to relationships, and for other people it might be accomplishment, there might be purpose there, but we want to get to the very, very center of the reason why this is important to them.
Speaker 2:And once we've got that established, then we know what our destination is and then we can put the pieces together to try to put that important element of a person's life back into place.
Speaker 1:Do you are encountering individuals that come to QLI, how do you, how do you go about, like figuring out what they enjoy doing and then even introducing them to potentially new ways of doing that activity? You betcha.
Speaker 2:So when our clients come into QLI, there's a life path services assessment and a lot of these questions about what's important in the life will be asked at that point, and then typically I'll get a message like, hey, I've got someone who's who's going to be a really good fit for adaptive sports. Sometimes they'll find me at the weekend, sometimes people don't present with an interest, but they they're here for a few weeks and they're like hey, you know, I want to give that, give that a try.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I guess maybe dig in on that a little bit more. So when you encounter people who maybe they just don't want anything to do with that former hobby, or maybe it's just it's really emotional for them, how do you approach those situations?
Speaker 2:You know, really the it's, it's a it's a complex and and a delicate issue and certainly what we don't want to do is we don't want to push and because this is an adjustment thing, that's happening here and you know, sometimes people just need space and they need time. We've certainly had some folks who you know I take take golf, for example. Golf is something that a lot of people take a lot of pride in their ability and their skill level and they, they get that sense of accomplishment for, for their performance, and sometimes golf is one of the most challenging things to adapt and can look very, very different. So sometimes we'll have folks that are like you know, I, I don't want to do that anymore. You know that's, that's not, it's not the same, it doesn't feel the same, it's more frustrating than fun at this stage and you know our first job is to respect that and not to not to pursue it Because it's it's their, it's their decision and you know we can always say hey, you know I understand how you feel and I feel that many people would feel the same way as as you do.
Speaker 2:Let let me know if, if you want to to try it ever in the future. But I respect what you're saying with that. Sometimes another activity that they've never tried before is is a good option. We've got a staff member, jack, who runs an archery program here, and we've had a lot of competitive sports people, golfers included, who never shot a bow, bow and arrow before, but then have started to learn how to do archery. And then every time they do it they get better and better and better, and they don't compare themselves to their performance before. So sometimes a complete sidestep is the way that people go.
Speaker 1:So I'm kind of coming back to how you've kind of built the adaptive sports program with lots of help around here, and I remember years ago, john Pearson, our director of creativity.
Speaker 1:It may have come from a book that I can't reference, so I'm just gonna reference John instead, but he had this quote of instead of saying I can't because dot dot dot, well, maybe replace that with I could if dot dot dot.
Speaker 1:And I think that I mean I've used that a lot with individuals that I've served as a PT, but I think that really encapsulates what you're doing from an adaptive sports standpoint too. Right, instead of looking at an area of recreation or a hobby that someone did a passion they had previously, maybe instead of looking at that as I can't do that anymore because of whatever injury it is, I could do that if you know, fill in the blank. And, ed, you've helped so many people over the years with learning how to get back on a cycle or impacting the community with working alongside the parks department to help get accessible docks and equipment put in so that people can access local lakes right or playgrounds. Can you talk a little more just about the specifics of how you've built out, like adding in jet skiing boating like what are the things that people can access or that you're teaching them to do when they come to QLI?
Speaker 2:Right, yeah, jet skiing's a good example. That's the activity that we're doing right now. We went out last Thursday and I think next Thursday we're gonna most likely head back out jet skiing and some of the favorite people that I take are the folks that I know have jet skis at home and would like to be able to get back to that activity. And you know, we have some techniques and methods to transfer from a wheelchair onto a jet ski Some reasonably simple methods with a box and a large slide board in effect, that allow people to get across there, and some different techniques to secure those jet skis so they're not quite as tippy. And we had some other folks that went out who were kind of making notes because that's something that they would like to get back to with their own jet skis.
Speaker 2:So sometimes it's yeah, once we've determined why it's important, and they wanna get back to it. Now it's down to the nitty gritty and how can we make this safe and effective? And what are your contingency plans? If you fall off the jet ski, do you have a plan to get back on? Or if you can't get back on, what's your plan to get back to the shore, that kind of thing. So lots of kind of contingencies that we have to think about.
Speaker 1:That's awesome. I'm kind of curious this is, maybe you know, search the depths of your mind for a story here but have you had any people you've worked with who've kind of challenged you in a way that makes you add something else or learn a new skill or technique to help them in an area of recreation, hobby, passion?
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, I think that's probably how our program has grown over the years is that we'll have someone who will come to us and they'll have an interest or an activity that they say hey, you know, I've really gotta get back to this and we've never tried it before. So I think probably the one that's freshest is adaptive skiing. We've never done adaptive skiing here. We've got a really great ski area in Iowa called Mount Crescent and we had an individual who very, very passionate about skiing and managed to procure as a couple of adaptive sit skis. So that is a program that was kickstarted by his passion and his interest and he really pushed us to think about this and think about what's possible. So this coming winter that will be. One of our projects is to try to figure out how to gain the relationships out at Mount Crescent, talk to a few folks out there and just really start to learn about how to do this.
Speaker 1:That's awesome. Is there anything else kind of exciting or new in the works that you guys are developing?
Speaker 2:I think our sailing program is still in its early stages and we've got a really great relationship with the sailing association out at Lake Manoa. We recently got a mechanical hoist that's gonna allow us to get sailors into the sailboat. We have an adaptive sailboat out there, so that's a program I'm excited about. There's a wonderful community out there at the sailing club and if we can help people get back to that interest and if they can become part of that sailing club as well, then they get all of the benefits socially as well.
Speaker 1:So I've heard, as you've been talking through, some of that. Like before you start to engage in a new activity, there's obviously like relationships, there's maybe location, there's equipment that all need to kind of be procured or developed, but how do you start to think about what could potentially happen or what could go wrong in the midst of this? How do you think through some of those things ahead of time?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think we make a lot of lists of things that we need to take. We also kind of run through different scenarios. So we think to ourselves like, well, this has never happened before, but let's have a think about what our response would be if this were to happen. What would be our plan going forward? So kind of a lot of scenarios, a lot of training that we do. We'll go out and say, ok, so let's say, someone does fall off the jet ski, let's work through what do we do immediately at that stage. And then how do we get them back to the shore, how do we get them up from the boat dock, kind of what all of our plans are. These things rarely happen, but we want to be prepared for that and to practice those things.
Speaker 1:So all of the stuff that we have is really cool and unique, and it's a fun time to kind of have a playground and explore with people how they might do things in a different way. Right, but from your experience, what does it look like to actually take those activities and transition them back into life when people leave July? Is that easy? Is the transition pretty difficult, and what support are we able to provide?
Speaker 2:You know, I think in terms of transitioning the sports, the thing that I've been most surprised about is the bike riding. We've had a lot of people who have really, really enjoyed the adaptive cycling and found a way to purchase the bikes going forward, I kind of feel like I need to be getting a bit of money back from Territrike for all of the bikes that we've helped sell over the course of the trip.
Speaker 1:We'll have to send this to Territrike, yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and I generally, you know, I'll call out to the bike stores that are closest to their home, that I know are at Territrike dealer, and I'll say, hey, we've got someone who's coming back. This is all of the equipment that they would like. Here's the email address. Can you send them a quote, estimate? And that's one of the steps that we'll take and then in their own time they can kind of head in there and then they know they've got what they need when they go and buy that. A lot of the time people are finding the funds to buy these themselves. We have had some people who have applied for grants the Christopher Reeve Foundation, kelly Bush Foundation, another good one so we've had some people that have said, ok, I can't afford to buy it outright, but maybe I'll apply for this grant and see if I can get it the next grant cycle.
Speaker 1:Awesome. I'm trying to think. There's a number of other things that I've seen you do, whether it's been rock climbing, go karting, even some of the boat adaptations that you've worked. We have a pontoon boat that has adaptations to it. Have you seen people be able to carry those types of things back into their own lives outside of rehab?
Speaker 2:Yeah, you bet you. Yeah, the pontoon boats. I think that's something we've helped people work out how can they adapt their pontoon boat and where they can get a ramp. And we have a ramp that actually comes from the side of the pontoon boat and when you raise it a little, somewhat like a drawbridge, then it becomes the side gate and that's actually reasonably inexpensive and can be fabricated. Anyone who's pretty handy can through-drill that to the bottom of the pontoon boat and then a pontoon is pretty innately adaptable for a wheelchair user. So we've had some folks that have taken a look at our pontoon boat and taken some notes and gone back to their own.
Speaker 1:That's fantastic, and do most dealers know how to change boats like that, or how easy is it to get that done?
Speaker 2:We had ours modified at Omaha Marine here in Omaha and that was a reasonably simple experience for them. They did widen the gate for us, which is a little bit more of a challenge, but actually installing the ramp, I think it's something that is supposed to be able to be done by the purchaser. We decided to go with a company just to make sure it was done correctly.
Speaker 1:Okay and I think, maybe just to point this out to you, I think one of the coolest little innovations I've seen that you guys have been using in the last couple of years is the swingless golf club that you have right. Can you kind of just describe how that works, Cause there are a lot of people that love golfing and don't realize that that is an option for them.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so Jack is actually the employee here that spearheaded getting the swingless golf club. And it is a golf club that has a kind of a button at the top of it, almost like a trigger, and when you press that and you hold the golf club straight down next to the ball and then there's kind of an actuator pin that pops out and it comes out a couple of inches and then it slides back in and that comes out very, very fast and it's able to blast a golf ball up to 200 yards and you can change the lofting of the golf club head so that it can almost be like every single golf club in your bag in one, so you can really make that into a pitching wedge or you can make it into a driver.
Speaker 1:Pretty much everything except for the putter. That's right, okay, so maybe one last question for you. You know, if there are individuals listening to this or family members who have a loved one that has had an injury changes the way they're able to do things. What are maybe a few resources, or maybe just advice, that you would give to them to take the next steps, to move back toward an old passion or potentially a new passion that they might be able to develop for recreation?
Speaker 2:Yeah, you know, I think it's really, really important after something like this has happened to try to get that really really healthy social outlet and even folks that haven't been involved with sports or recreation before. Sometimes it's more important after an injury to try to surround yourself by people who understand and who can give you support, and also to do something active, some exercise, just to try to build your mood back up. So I think that that's something that's particularly important after a change like this. In terms of resources, of finding teams, you know, here in the Omaha area we've got some amazing resources Allegiant Health, which is up here close to QLI, chi, CHI. They offer some amazing programs.
Speaker 2:We've been heading out to check out their wheelchair tennis, we've been out to wheelchair softball, which is out at Seymour Smith Park, and Omaha is very blessed to have those communities and we've got some staff members over at CHI Health that have done an amazing job putting these together for the community and particularly out at the softball, just seeing that community of individuals with disabilities who are just there supporting each other. They've got the rock music blasting, they've got the sun on their shoulders and you can tell that this is an uplifting experience and it looks like something that they look forward to all week and it's something that's going to be helpful in their lives. I think finding those opportunities in your own towns, I think Google is an amazing tool and I think if you were to just do a Google search there, depending on where you are, I think you'll be able to find some resources.
Speaker 1:All right, ed. Thank you so much for joining us. Appreciate you joining the conversation and man keep doing the good work you're doing too. You're welcome Thanks for having me.
Speaker 3:Thanks for joining the conversation with us today. If you found it helpful, please share with your family and friends. You can learn more about us on our website at continuetellarehapcom, or check us out on YouTube, Instagram and Facebook.