Tacklehugs, Disney, and How Not to Lose Your Pants While Swimming: My Trip to LA
I arrived in LA bright-eyed and bushy-tailed ready to start my adventure, although I was soon to have the wind knocked out of my sails, quite literally. After making my way through customs and coming out at the arrivals gate at LAX I was expecting to see Q there waiting for me, but as I reached down to grab my phone to text her a flash caught my eye dashing towards me, jumping on top of me, flipping me backwards out of my chair! We’d joked about her greeting me with a tackle hug but the reality definitely caught me by surprise… She claims that when she started speeding towards me that she thought I was going to see her, but I’m convinced it was an intentional sneak attack. Anyway, we hit the ground pretty dramatically. The airline attendant, Albert, who was helping me with my luggage looked absolutely panicked because he saw her coming and couldn’t decide in that split second whether to stop her, say something to me, or do nothing. He did nothing. Not to mention, there were some stifled yelps and gasps from the poor onlookers who were horrified seeing someone in a wheelchair being tackled out onto the ground. They were soon relieved when she hugged and kissed me and there were even a couple muffled “D’awww”s and the horror turned into awkward smiles and laughter.
Catching the bus out to the hire car depot, I was a little bit hesitant about what would greet me. So far the booking process had gone smoothly, booking the car online then ringing them up to make sure that the hand controls were going to be on the car when I arrived. Not only was the car there ready for pickup with the hand controls in the right locations but they even gave me an upgrade, citing that it would be easier for me to get the wheelchair in and out of the car in a slightly larger vehicle. Go Hertz LAX. After a quick motivational talk convincing myself that I could drive on the opposite side of the road we headed off back to Q’s apartment, stopping at In-and-Out for the obligatory welcome to Los Angeles dinner.
Waking up with slight jet lag, Q invited me in to the office at UCLA to meet her work colleagues and attend a UCOD meeting. UCOD is the UCLA Committee on Disability and these monthly meetings have representatives from departments all across campus (facilities, architects, career center, student services, adaptive recreation, digital accessibility, etc.) that pay attention to accessibility issues. It was great being able to share my experiences as a person with a disability and as a para-athlete hopefully giving them some sort of useful input about how to make the UCLA campus and programs more accessible. For the rest of the week, I tagged along with her intermittently at work to help promote accessibility around campus, including doing an interview and giving a portion of a presentation.
For my birthday, Q got us tickets to the theatre to see a show called, “Mysterious Circumstances”. Honestly, I wasn’t really sure what it was going to be like, but the synopsis which described the real-life mysterious death of a Sherlock Holmes historian/enthusiast, sounded interesting. I ended up laughing so hard that I cried at points. The dialogue was filled with some phenomenal lines like, “I know who killed me. I was there.” The lead actor, Alan Tudyk, was amazing in the role, definitely look him up. I can almost guarantee that you’ve seen something with him or his voice in it and we should all appreciate him more. I say this because he’s one of Q’s favorite actors...I must like her or something.
With the Disney trip just around the corner, Q’s parents arrived and we decided to fill the afternoon doing an escape room together. Having A. not experienced an escape room before and B. not having met her parents before, I was a little nervous about being locked in a room for an hour trying to solve stressful puzzles.. but in minutes the room filled with chaotic laughter as we solved the room finishing and just half the allocated time. The first challenge was that there was a barrier between the two halves of the room and Q’s parents were locked on one side and Q and I on the other. We had to solve a puzzle to release keys to unlock the door between the halves. So, we had an entertaining time shouting through the window connecting the two halves as we tried to rejoin. Hilarity ensued. I know I'm a little bit late to the game but if you haven't tried an escape room I highly recommend it, they are an absolute blast!
Q woke up on the morning of our Disney adventure bouncing up and down like a child on Christmas morning, I knew she was a Disney fanatic but this really cemented her absolute devotion to the cause. As I got ready, she knocked on the bathroom door every time she passed she’d knock and ask, “Are you excited yet?” and I knew I was in for quite the experience. Driving out to Anaheim, the car was filled with everyone telling me fun facts about Disney and the park's rides. This wasn't going to be just a novice visit to Disney; there was an itinerary!
Q’s Going to write in more detail about what we got up to at Disney and some of my highlights included, the Guardians of the Galaxy ride, the new Star Wars Galaxy's Edge land, The World of Color light show and of course just the manic people watching as they chase around after the kids. Check back for the next post about all this fun.
It's at this time of the blog that I need to give a massive shout out to my new found favourite sandwich shop “Mendocino Farms”. They make a Peruvian steak sandwich that absolutely changed my life, and I'm sure you thinking “Hey Sam, you're probably overreacting. It's just a sandwich” but this sandwich will seriously change your life. I mean, have you ever considered using garlic bread instead of regular bread for a sandwich? I think not. Rethink your lives, people. I can't recommend it highly enough!
Next up was back at UCLA for the Angel City Games, the premier adaptive sports festival in the Western United States. Having been a part of para-sport for such a long time and knowing the benefits of being physically active and having a community of like-minded people, it was fantastic to see just how many people turned up to learn about new sports from other Paralympic athletes and professional coaches then having the opportunity for friendly competition with their new skills. There were clinics to introduce new sports to curious participants wanting to broaden their horizon and/or hone their skills. While Q was at work one day, I went and tried out table tennis. While a lot more balls went past me than got hit back, I made a lot of improvements having help from some of the best coaches in Los Angeles and Paralympic athletes. Additionally, I hopped in the pool for the 25-yard freestyle race. My swimming skills may not be what they once were, and they were not helped by my shorts falling down every few strokes! As I treaded water with one arm and attempted to prevent some serious mooning with the other, I could see the volunteers at the end of my lane stifling giggles and, honestly, I just wanted to make it to the end without laughing up water. Anyway, events like these are something we need a lot more of here in Australia, encouraging the next generation of para-athletes and kids with disabilities to be active and involved in sport.
A few days before I departed Los Angeles, I got a chance to tour the headquarters for LA2028. Their offices take up a beautiful whole floor of an office building in the heart of Westwood. It was really interesting seeing the very early stages of a Olympics/Paralympics come together and get a sneak peek into the layout and event venues. Hopefully I won't be past my prime when they come around! I was lucky enough to finish off the tour by signing the athletes wall, joining the names of current and retired athletes from around the world. I look forward to going back again when I’m over next to see the signatures grow and the planning continue.
So, overall, this trip was filled with a lot of firsts. First time driving on the other side of the road (crazy Americans). First Disney trip. First visit to UCLA. First time doing a swimming race while holding up my shorts (not recommended). First escape room. First time being tackled in an airport. First time meeting Q’s parents. And most importantly, the first of many trips to Mendocino Farms. I gotsta get my Peruvian steak sandwich! Rethink your lives, people!