SCI Superstar: Ashley Lyn Olson

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When you’re paralyzed at the age of 14, things can go two different ways – you can either use the change to change the world, or you can get angry about how you’ve changed. It’s only two different decisions really, and Ashley Lyn Olson decided to go the high road, and the world of travel has been her target.

Since 2009, she’s been blogging her travel experiences throughout the United States and beyond on her blog – WheelchairTraveling.com – which is both a website, travel company, blog, social network and one of our favorite aspects – a truly amazing video collection.

Her travel knowledge even scored her an ongoing gig with the Abilities Expo, and she’s now spreading her travel knowledge to people in person; a perfect fit for this dynamic lady. Read on to see how Ashley Lyn is weaving a more than satisfying life by living out her passions.

Why She’s Fearless

Growing up in the San Francisco Bay area, Ashley Lyn was an all-star athlete and had an idyllic childhood, but everything changed when she was 14. Her entire family was involved in a car accident, killing her father and injuring both Ashley, her mother and sister. Because of this car accident, Ashley Lyn became a T12 paraplegic.

After high school, she attended the University of Southern California and received her bachelor’s in communications. And after graduating, she scored a great job at a winery working an executive assistant, but after three years of working the job, she decided to leave and dedicate her efforts full-time to WheelchairTraveling.com.

Her website has detailed first-person experiences backing up the accessibility advice given.  Ashley Lyn has extensively traveled throughout the United States, Canada, Japan and Ecuador and has a crazy natural talent for speaking and communicating.

This is why planning travel adventures through her nonprofit in a natural fit. She offers travel packages that offer unparalleled accessibility, such as wine country tours to zip-line experiences with Ashley Lyn herself as your guide. And if you can’t afford to go on a vacation with her, you can now go to the Abilities Expo and hear her advice in person.

What’s Next?

That is what Ashley Lyn is all about, giving great advice. She just finished giving inclusive travel advice at the Abilities Expo in San Jose, California. She’s also a peer mentor for the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, helping newly injured individuals get back into their old lives.

With plans to go on a Caribbean cruise this winter, Ashley Lyn just never stops in adventuring. Just three months ago she won on a vacation city Utah, and months before that she was in Ecuador. We love her fearlessness in a big way.  She’s fearless in living out her true passion in life, giving other wheelers the inspiration to do the same.

How does travel help you?

– Visit her site: Wheelchair Traveling

Watch her travel videos!

– Wheelchair Accessibility @ Lake Powell in Utah and Arizona

– Japan Wheelchair Accessible Travel Adventure

– Napa Valley Wine Train for Wheelchair Travelers

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