Doug Shull, a quadriplegic from Morton, Ill., and his lifelong friend Chris Ackerman ran the Honda LA Marathon on March 20 with the help of a wheelchair donated by ATG Rehab. The donation was part of the 12-year-old company's ongoing commitment to support those with disabilities and the 27 local communities the provider serves across the country, according to Cody Verrett, vice president, sales and marketing.
Shull, 54, and Ackerman, 53, were running mates in high school before a swimming accident left Shull paralyzed at age 16. But their friendship continued over the years, and Ackerman asked Shull to compete in the marathon with him in 1986. “He had this great idea that we could finally do our race together, with him pushing my wheelchair 26 miles,” Shull told a local news reporter back then..
This time around, the friends decided to repeat the journey to raise money for World Vision, a children's charity. Tackling the marathon 25 years later required some nifty networking to locate a custom manual wheelchair to borrow for the run, but when ATG Rehab received the call, its Cerritos, Calif., office sprang into action.
Quantum Rehab manufactured the specially outfitted Litestream XF ultralight manual wheelchair, and ATG customized and fit the chair for Shull, fabricating a custom push handle for the back of the chair. The ATG team performed several test runs in order to calibrate the handle to allow Ackerman to reach full stride while safely pushing Shull.
With additional help from pushers Tim Osti, Matt Stevenson and Hannah Ackerman — and through a torrential downpour that began at mile four — the two friends crossed the finish line this year in 4 hours and 47 minutes.
Troy Kubinski, general manager of ATG's Cerritos office, said supporting Shull and Ackerman in their endeavor was a reward in itself.
“We are thrilled to have played a very small part in helping Doug and Chris pull off a truly incredible feat,” Kubinski said. “Their story transcends physical accomplishments and disability and demonstrates a bond that only a lifelong friendship can achieve.”
