All right, welcome to the AdaptX podcast where we have discussions with individuals who are building accessible and inclusive products, advocating for inclusion or excelling in adaptive sports.
Our intention is never to speak on behalf of those with disabilities, but rather amplify their voice, ideas, and create other opportunities for businesses to become more inclusive.
Today we're joined by Tim Morris, a teacher, athlete, and author.
Six or seven years ago, Tim and I briefly met at the base state half marathon. I found him on Facebook afterwards because I wanted to connect with him and kind of pick his brain about fitness.
And then all these years later, we reconnected, recently wrote three graduate level courses for PE teachers on inclusion, accessibility, and universal design.
You can find those on the education tab of our website if you're interested. But today we'll talk about Tim's experience as a professional individual and an individual with a spinal cord injury.
So, Tim, thank you for joining us.
Awesome. Great to be here.
Can you take me back a little bit to maybe before your spinal cord injury, what you were pursuing professionally and athletically?
Yeah. Let's see. Not the best with the cover letters. So going back, see, 16 years ago, I was just that, you know, I was a physical teacher, you know, diamond dozen, run the milk personal trainer, right?
And then, you know, I was, I was, I was 26 years old and, you know, just like most 26 year old guys, men, boys, thinking that you're invisible, you know, so just, just, you know, kind of, I wasn't necessarily conscious of,
much besides, you know, having fun in the moment. And, you know, and ultimately it caught up, it caught up to me.
So, you know, car accident, distracted driving. And, yeah, so I, you know, I flipped my Jeep and shot out the moonroof and the rest is history, but I woke up from my coma and I was like,
wow, I really put myself at, you know, a disadvantage here, right? It's like, okay, I'm a physio teacher, but now two thirds of my body just mark, you know,
and, you know, as a personal trainer, like how am I, how am I going to do this? You know, and I had a long time to lay in that hospital bed, I was in the hospital for four months and I'm, you know, just thinking, how am I going to do this?
And, you know, I was like, my life was being active, you know, being mostly fit and, you know, what am I going to do? And so it was just like, well, professionally, you know, if I'm going to, if I'm going to stay the same path, you know, I kind of got to,
you know, be the best person in the world apart and, you know, it's, it's interesting, spawn, cordial injury, like, you know, I do look at it as like the best thing never happened to me, right? It, it,
it kind of like just opened my eyes to who I was and how I, you know, how I was my outlook on life and really I was before the, before the injury. I was just a dude that talked a lot about, you know, what I wanted to do,
talked a lot about like, I want to get into triathlon, you know, running was a pain in the ass. I wasn't a big runner back then, but, you know, talked a lot about, you know, getting into obstacle racing and, you know, sparring and tough money and all that.
And then after the injury, I was like, it's time to shut up and it's time to start, time to start doing.
That seems to be one of the themes that we hear from some of the people that we've interviewed how like life begins almost after disability in a different way. It was definitely one echoed in Jesse and Mary's discussions where they found a purpose to a degree or they just motivated them in some way to pursue things
differently. I know at the, so then you pursued a master's degree from UNH after the accident, right?
No, I, I, I finished that before, before.
But your thesis was something specific to universal design, right?
It's like, it's, it's funny how things work out. Yeah. My, my colloquium, my thesis for my, my graduate degree was goal setting in an adaptive and inclusive visit setting. And, you know, I'm turned that here we are, you know, that's a sense.
Hopefully the audience is, is within the health and fitness professional like field. Is there anything that you learned from that thesis project that could be applicable to like a gym setting?
Yeah, you know what, it doesn't the visual, whether it's, whether it's a visual complication and emotional complication.
And we're all, we're all people and everybody is capable of achieving a lot of what, a lot of what we set our minds to, you know, and as long as, you know, the right, you know, I kind of call it like the three P's like perspective, perseverance and, and patients, right?
And it's like, as long as you can wrap your head around a challenge and start goal setting, you can, you can achieve so much more than even you think you might be capable of.
So it's like having the right supports in place and, and then executing those three P's that you mentioned.
Yeah, yeah. I'm a big, I'm big like intrinsic guy. It has to start with it and has to come from within like you can have, you can have amazing people around you.
But if you're not having people around you supporting you and supporting, supporting you and having external supports in place can take you to another level, but it has to come from within you have to want it and you have to put in the work.
What about what about for individuals that maybe don't have that same intrinsic motivation? Have you learned any like strategies to extrinsically motivate?
Yeah.
So this is why I like work with you, man, because because you, you, you will have a lot of depth, you know, you're very thoughtful and you've for you've put a lot more effort and, and thought into the way you approach your, you know, professionally, personally, I know you've been doing this for a while and your story is great.
But yeah, so people who don't have the driver motivation, something like Semon Fire, and you just have to fan those flames, like you have to find a spark and and fan those, fan those flames.
Yeah.
And, you know, everybody has something that gets our heart racing a little, a little faster.
Right. Yeah.
Yeah, we see sometimes with some of our athletes with like intellectual disabilities where maybe, maybe they don't have the executive functioning to realize like fitness is good for me because it's going to help me accomplish xyz or it's going to improve my health in this way.
So they can always associate exercise with the positive outcomes.
Like how can you motivate them to be consistent because that's essential, obviously, for them achieving what they need to achieve and maybe they don't know what they need to do intrinsically and that's where like us coaching them comes into play.
But I think a lot of it's like creating the community where they feel supported, like maybe they don't come to the gym because of the workout, maybe they come because of the people.
Yeah.
So it's like, how can you foster that community that's going to encourage the motivation when maybe they don't have it intrinsically.
Right. Exactly. So like, it starts by them wanting to come see their friends and then, you know, if you have them and then if going back to goal setting, like short term manageable tasks that you know, it's like, listen, even just walking around the building once without getting winded is difficult, but then they do it and they're like, oh, okay, can I do it twice?
Yeah.
You know, stacking those small ones.
Yeah, small, you know, small wins, a win to win no matter how small, you know, and every it's it's different for everybody. Right. And, you know, for some, for some, it requires more work, but generally those are the people like that.
It's you.
It's much more rewarding.
Absolutely. Yeah, for sure. Because like, sometimes we when we work with really motivated athletes, like your role is to almost hold them back from doing too much. Yeah. And then you've got the athletes that need the more motivation.
But like you mentioned, like that can be more rewarding because it's like, you had an impact on someone that a lot of people haven't been able to have an impact on.
After your injury, like, what were those four months like kind of like what supports did you get maybe even like social emotionally what what were your concerns outside of your capacity to do your job like what were your fears and
one thing, the big thing that was that was so huge for me was the people who I had in my life. I have, I have the, I have the greatest group of my family, my immediate family, and my friends who are, you know, who have become family.
You know, I would, I'd be lost without them. It's really it's really the people who were just there people who, you know, I didn't let I didn't let and I didn't let them treat me any different.
And that's always been a thing for me is like, yeah, you know, I'm a dude that uses a chair, but my, my goals like within 10 minutes meeting me, you don't even see the chair anymore.
And in return, they also, in the early on, you know, they didn't let me use the chair as an excuse, you know, just get up to self often.
Kind of expanding on that topic, like, I think one thing that might hold people back from working with those with disabilities is like the etiquette and like the concern that they're going to do something offensive if they haven't interacted with people with disabilities in the past.
Like, if you were going to a new gym, and you were, you were hiring a personal trainer, what would you want that first session to look like, like what questions would you be comfortable with them asking?
What would, how would you want them to treat you besides like you mentioned that you don't even have a chair?
Yeah, so if I'm working with an able bought client, right, so
if there's no relationship works, if there's if it's not an open honest setting for communication, right? So it's like, let's get. Okay, so I, I teach at an inner city high school.
Every semester, we start a new class, you get freshmen sophomores that have never dealt with anybody in the chair before and they come in, and they they see, they see me, their phys ed teacher, you know, using a wheelchair, you know, now we get the phones out people, you know, snapchat me and record me.
And I'm just, you know, in that first class, you're just like, All right, you know, let's go. Give me your questions, give me anything you want to ask. Get it out of the way.
You know, and, you know, we'll talk about it. And some people, you know, you know, with with kids inner city kids, some of them, you know, start to think about a little bit, it makes an impact.
And those are kids like you are quickly able to form deeper relationships with, you know, other people, you know, it takes time but like working with the, the, the training clients, you know, as, as far as then working with me, there's, you know, and whatever you, I don't get offended easily.
You got to have thick skin, you know, in this situation because you got some, you got some people out there saying some wild stuff. I've heard wild shit, you know, in the 16 years that I've been in a chair.
But as far as me working with them, I'll offer up, you know, information and also you got it, you got to massage personalities like when you're working in a service based industry kind of like this we have to, you know, we have to understand that everybody is their own individual and you cannot.
I think not only for us but bigger picture. People would be better off not having, not generalizing not having assumptions about an entire community based on, you know, one or two, one interaction or one or two people, you know, how do you think your SCIs may do a better personal trainer.
I put myself into into positions.
Now, before, so it's like, I'll sit back and I'll think about the program I'll think about, you know, I'll do a needs analysis for, for somebody. And then I'll, I'll do my own research, you know, and understand if there's something about their situation that I, you know, I don't know.
I'll do my own research and that, you know, I just like, you know, you're the same way we're lifelong learners, you know, and, you know, the more people with diverse backgrounds, I meet the better I'm going to be.
And it's just being a sponge of being empathetic to them and learning about them. And some people don't want to offer any information at all, you know, and it's just like you got to respect that.
But I can imagine being unable to demonstrate some movement might improve your communication skills by default.
100%. Right.
And both, you know, as a, you know, as a phys ed teacher, I'm the track coach at the high school of the girls track coach at the high school. You know, it's I mean, being a track coach in who uses a wheelchair, you know, your verbal queuing is much more on point, you know, yeah, trowel and air, you know, bumpy in the beginning.
How has your life improved post SCI outside of kind of finding that purpose. Yeah, man. So it's all, you know, like those, those perspective, it's all about perspective. I don't really have bad days.
You know, I mean, I listen, I deal with a lot of shit. I go through a lot of shit. I deal with some stuff, right. And, you know, it's, it's not easy.
But I understand that I take accountability and I pull myself, you know, I put myself in situations where I make decisions that might have a negative effect on me. But, you know, you try to learn from those experiences.
I think it's outside of that, like, you know, every day, every day is a gift, man. So it's like, it's all about perspective. It's like, it's the, it's, it's cliche and it's been, you know, some Tony Robbins stuff, but it's like that, you know, the get to instead of have to, you know,
if you look at, if you look at life and understand that, you know, it's tough as your situation, maybe somebody out there always has somebody out there has it worse, and they're thriving, like, and I also think a lot about my family, and
you know, and my friends and how much people poured into me. I bet a damn, I for damn sure better show up and live my life the best I can to, you know, like pay it back and pay it forward.
There's one I was reading a paper recently, and it was more in like the medical profession, some more physician space, but it was like 80% of doctors assume that people with disabilities have a worse quality of life, and that they like resent their disability.
But that doesn't appear to always be the case. Right. So it's like, sometimes, even the people in the highest level of their profession are putting limitations and misconceptions and per like a different perspective than the one that you actually adopt.
And so it's like having the conversation kind of alleviates that and will actually give you insight into how someone actually approaches their disability instead of assuming that they're miserable in their state.
100%. I think there's a lot of that. So one thing about myself now and is, you know, I've always recognized that it's the people that you have in your life. So I surround myself with people who motivate me, people who inspire me, right.
So it's like, we've done some products together and I look at you, you, you are motivating and and I don't like the word inspiration.
I was about to ask you that afterwards with like, we tend to ask everyone kind of like the inspiration narrative, like, are you comfortable with people saying that you're inspirational?
Man, when I went out at the food store and I'm like just, you know, picking up frozen broccoli and someone was like, man, you are so inspirational.
I hate that.
Yeah, well, Jesi was like, if I'm because we had the same conversation with Jesi and she was like, well, if I'm actually doing something that's like beyond what you would expect of me, then that you can call me motivational in that regard.
And she's like, I like being motivational. I like hearing that how I approach life influences other people.
But it's like the inspiration porn where you take someone with a disability doing a rudimentary task and you're like, wow, that's so awesome.
Whereas like, well, that's well intended. It's just going to continue to change people's perspective of disability and like lower their expectations.
Yeah, exactly. You know, that's a perfect question.
So the inspiration narrative, if you're actually doing something where you're pushing beyond boundaries or you're excelling in your career, like that stuff can be motivational.
Yeah, so it's, I don't know.
You can be motivational in spite of your injury.
Yeah, totally, totally. Right. So those are the people I surround myself with like people who motivate me, just people who I, I admire and more rational.
That's the word I like that word. I think your propensity to take on students who might have more difficult backgrounds and give your time as the track coach.
I think that stuff's motivational. The fact that you're in a wheelchair is just another characteristic. Yeah, yeah, yeah, exactly. Right.
So it's like, as far as like, avoiding, avoiding bad days and putting, you know, one foot in front of the other and like, really, if you're, if you're around people who like, they just, their energy sucks, they suck the life out of you, they're just exhausting to be around.
Or you're around people who like, push you to want to be better. There's a huge difference, right. So it's like, if you're having a difficult time, like, maybe look at the, the environment you're in and that was one of the hardest things is like, you know,
when, you know, relationships that like, aren't serving you having, you know, having to, to end them or, you know, put them in arms length or whatever.
Right after your injury, what was your environment like, like, did you, what rehab hospital were you at?
Northeast rehab in Salem.
And where are you getting OT, PT? How did your recovery kind of progress in those initial months?
Yeah, yeah. So it was great. So it's like, I, it took some fighting, but I got into Spaulding Boston, but I was already at, I was already at Northeast rehab in Salem, New Hampshire.
And I was kind of like a big fish in a small pond. I was the only SCI. And like, I was the youngest person there by like 20 years. So it's like, I also had like a friend from college who was an OT working there.
And the PT that I was working with, like, he was a younger guy too. So it was like, it was, you know, and I was close to home at that point.
So it's like, when I finally got into spalding, I ended up turning it down because it's like shit, but I would, you know, rather be kind of like, get, be a place like where everybody knows your name, or, you know, go to a place where you got to start all over again.
I chose to, I chose to stay where I was. And then I, you know, and then I got out initially, you know, I lived with family. I lived with my dad, I lived with my sister, you know, and, but, you know, at some point, you got to, you got to leave the nest.
What level of injury do you have?
T3 spinal cord injury.
Was the capacity to walk ever on your radar?
Oh yeah. Okay. So that was the first few years I was fortunate because I had that safety net of family. The first few years I've really poured into walking.
And like, I mean, I have, I got photos, I, you know, I'll show you, I able to freestand for seconds. Not second, like up to a minute freestand, you know, not holding onto anything.
You know, I can, I've re, you know, redeveloped the ability to crawl. Yeah, I mean, in air quotes, crawl, like it's an ugly gate pattern, but you know, I've redeveloped some things, but like the juice wasn't worth the squeeze.
Like that was, you know, eating, breathing, so walking again. And then, you know what, I was, you know, what I've realized, man, it's like, do I want to pour my life into walking again?
So it can take me three hours to walk from the parking lot into this building or man, like you go out and we met a base day marathon, go out and, you know, do 26 miles in two hours.
It's pretty fun too.
Yeah, I think about that sometimes even when I'm like writing workouts for someone or training them, like, it's cool sometimes to get like our wheelchair users out of their chair and walking and stuff.
But I'm like, when I think about what aspects of fitness is going to improve their quality of life, it's like being able to stand for a few seconds, like probably isn't going to be that it's like improving their body composition.
So they're healthier, like so they're able to transfer better. Like that stuff seems to be most important.
That's, it's, I like that you said that because it's like, I feel like a lot of people focus so much on like walking being the epitome of recovery, but there's so much more that goes into recovery than just the capacity to walk again.
Yeah, yeah, totally. So after my injury, I'm like, okay, how am I going to be a, you know, a physio teacher and a personal trainer.
You know, now in a chair, it's kind of an uphill battle. I became a strength coach. So I got my CSES and it's like, okay, I just need to elevate my game and I need to be, I just like got thirsty to like be the best and just always be growing, getting better and learning.
And that's, you know, it's, it's gone into my training. Really, you know, like now with move to improve SCI, like I focus on neurological complications, primarily spinal cord injuries.
And it's just, you know, it's made me a far better trainer, having been in those shoes and helping people. And like you said, it's like getting somebody out of their chair and ambulating, you know, for 15 steps, 30 steps is not as beneficial to them as body copping and improving their
cardiovascular and, you know, and, you know, muscle or, you know, helping their helping with their aches and pains and their shoulder discomfort.
Yeah, absolutely. One question that we tend to kind of like wrap these up with. What do you think needs to be done to make the fitness industry like as a whole more accessible or inclusive?
Well, more community conversations, communication, right, more people like you, more collaborations like this, like, just, I think, I think we're, we're on the way, you know, I've been in a lot of gyms.
Most people, I think most people are like, good, or getting better, trying to be better. Listen, people in general, people are people are good, you know, and so, and I think, I think it's getting there.
Yeah, man. So I think, I think we're on the way. It's definitely becoming more commonplace than it was six or seven years ago when I started, I see a lot more popping up. Yeah.
But it's like, I just wonder how, like, your plan of fitness is and your anytime fitness is can have like staff that support individuals with disabilities and stuff better.
I pop into the global gym. I love, I love a good plan of fitness now and they, you know, they're great, like they have those functional rooms, 10 bucks a month, somebody in a chair should be getting out and and moving their, their body, right.
And, you know, you'll run into the occasional bad egg, but it's like, you know, I also don't think I might have a controversial opinion here where I don't think the world needs to adapt me.
I need to, you know, it's, but supports are helpful. If you have like a staff member at a gym that is like, you know, they're to reach something on top shelf for you.
Cool. That's awesome. You know, because, you know, befriend them, you know, figure out, but I don't, I don't go to a PF and like, ask them to buy equipment to suit me.
Like, that's not really how life works. I see what's available to me and I adapt to it and figure out, figure out the best way to move forward.
So maybe it's less about changing the environments and more so communicating to the individuals that displays themselves.
Like, I think Erik, like Erik Kondo, a mutual friend of ours, I kind of said something similar, like what's holding back people in wheelchairs from participating in 5Ks.
And a lot of times it's not the 5K, it's the individual with a wheelchair.
I mean, so like we're talking about surrounding yourself with people that, that motivate you.
You're one of them. Erik is one of them. Erik is like, you know, a great example, right?
Where, you know, he gets out and he does full marathons in his day chair or a chair that he...
Felt out of wood.
Literally, felt out of wood.
And he'll push a full marathon in a wood chair and it's like, listen, it's... and he'll do, like do a triathlon when the run finishes through a field to pin the ass, you know?
But, you know, you just got to, you got to, you know, you do it, like the environment doesn't completely have to adapt to you.
Absolutely. No, I think that's a good lesson. And it definitely doesn't, like, it definitely isn't justifying a lack of accessibility, but it's just a perspective that, like, making the most of the environment that you have and the situation that you have.
You got to be willing to take risks.
Yeah.
And, you know, I think everybody has their own journey. Not everybody. Some people are able to, you know, dive in literally or figuratively, like, you know, two months after their injury, some people take two years, some people take 10 years.
You know, everybody's on their own journey, but the sooner you can wrap your head around, like, you know, get out there.
It doesn't matter what anybody thinks about you. You're never going to see them again. Like, you know, their opinion of you, the only opinion that matters is yours.
And just get out there and live your life.
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Until next Monday.