There is a long list of reasons able-bodied people give for engaging in extreme sports—among them wanting to push the limits, or the adrenaline rush and the body’s release of dopamine, endorphins, and serotonin, which cause a “natural high.”

Why do Extreme Wheelchair Sports?
For the disabled athlete, the reasons are the same, with some added ones—to prove it can be done and exploding the myth that they are “confined” to a wheelchair. There also tends to be a greater boredom factor, and participating  in extreme wheelchair sports, such as hardcore sitting, wheelchair mountain biking and rock climbing, certainly gets rid of that feeling.

In addition, there’s a more practical reason for getting involved in extreme wheelchair sports for some. For the most part, it’s non-competitive, as far as competing against other players. The competition kicks in, however, in competing against your own obstacles. And coming out triumphant as an athlete with a disability gives an even greater satisfaction that beating someone else at a traditional sport.

Sports Memories are Influential
Athletes who become disabled later in life have the memory of skiing, bobsledding, mountain climbing, and/or other very physical activities. Then the question becomes: what sort of similar activities can I do now? And when they learn they can still engage in competitive sports, and do it well, some may ask: Can I do even more? That’s where some then take the leap into extreme wheelchair sports.

Risk Addiction
Psychologists will say that engaging in extreme sports, whether in a wheelchair or not, can lead to what is called “risk addiction,” or “sensation-seeking.” Such athletes, the theory goes, crave intense sensations and experiences and have a tendency to live on the edge. So extreme wheelchair sports, in particular, may carry with it an even greater risk factor, and so the adrenaline pumps even faster.

On the other hand, to challenge oneself to such an extreme can also be viewed in a positive vein—that those people who engage in extreme wheelchair sports are in the further pursuit of bringing back their dignity, and a sense of freedom that they have lost to some extent in a wheelchair.

Check out stories of athletes in extreme wheelchair sports.