Getting things started...

WOW...

I first want to thank everyone who has encouraged me in the planning and execution of this project!  I am truly fortunate to have such a good foundation of friends and loved ones to build the courage and nerve to carry this project to completion.

I have to admit when I was told that no one had ever crossed the state of Ohio in a wheelchair I was a bit skeptical.  But with a ton of research I found out it was true!  There have been people travel across the state in hand cranked bicycles and even a couple that have crossed in electric chairs but no one has ever done it in a manually powered wheelchair!  I have made it my goal to be that first one.  And at the sake of getting ahead of myself if the trip goes well there will be others planned.

Now... to the tasks at hand.  There is a lot of things to get accomplished before we get rubber on the road as it where.  I have already contacted the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) and the Ohio Department of Public Safety and received permissions and instructions on how to plan this all out.  ODOT will be there to help with keeping me up to date on construction and the folks at Public Safety will be there to help with enforcement of the Ohio Revised Code as necessary.

Oh... I should explain what I want to do!!!  I will be traveling across the state of Ohio from east to west along Rt. 40 the old National Highway.  The trip will be 230 miles from start to finish.  I plan on getting out there to get this started June 1, 2013 and expect it to end by June 21, 2013.

I have already started the physical training (and it is gonna take a lot to get this fat butt back into shape!!!).  I have also started getting my head in the right place.  And again I have a great group of folks that have already given me the best in encouragement and love.

I have had contact with a bunch of potential sponsors, Nikon USA (www.nikon.com), Lytro (www.lytro.com), GoPro (www.gopro.com), Invacare (www.invacare.com) just to name a few.  I also have the support of a couple of local small businesses.  Jim Rinaldi at Wide Photography Studios here in West Jefferson and Dago and Traci from Easy Street Ink have already pledged to help in any way possible.  I am also selling some of my books of photography to raise funds (http://www.blurb.com/user/store/hawtwheels).

As you can imagine this project is more than one person can keep up with.  Heather "Sunny" Martin has been a great help in administrating the Hawt Wheels Across Ohio Facebook group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/hawtwheelsacrossohio/).  And we will have a dedicated web page up and running very soon (http://www.hawtwheelsacrossohio.zxq.net).

It will be my goal to post something here at least once a day.  Let's see what we can get done!!!