Chad Waligura, Owner/Co-Host
“The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely, or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quite alone with the heavens, nature, and God. Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be…” – Anne Frank
I put that quote on the front page of my first site Follow Me Outdoors site way back in the mid-90’s because it exposed a simple truth about of what my life as a disabled hunter was about, and also what I wanted to share with other people. Now, I’d like Able Outdoors to be built on the same concept.
Growing up in a small town on the Texas gulf coast, I fell in love with the outdoors when I was twelve years old, that’s when my dad took me duck hunting the first time, and from that day on, I knew it was something that’d be a part of my life forever.
When I was paralyzed at age 17, during the summer of 1986 after diving into a pool, it was the one thing I knew I could never give up. Three months later, I was back in the woods with dad re-learning how to hunt again. It wasn’t easy for me and there were more failures than successes, but they showed me what I needed to do to be ready for the following season.
Eighteen years after those first times hunting post-injury, I was chosen by Buckmasters’ American Deer Foundation as their Challenged Hunter of the Year! And in 2010, Safari Club International chose me for their Pathfinder Award.
In the meantime, and not long after my accident, I began writing stories for a site I built called Follow Me Outdoors anytime I had a successful hunt or stumbled across an interesting story that I felt needed telling. It was an inauspicious beginning of my outdoor writing career. Since then, I’ve been published in mainstream magazines like Rack Magazine, King’s Hunting Illustrated, Eastman’s Hunting Journal, Horizontal Bowhunter Magazine, UFFDA magazine, Turkey & Turkey Hunting magazine, the African Hunter Gazette and Universal Hunter.
All the while, I’ve been going afield, every year. I’ve been wing-shooting and big game hunting across the United States and on three different continents, so far. I started writing too as a way to chronicle some of my trips and provide information for anyone who might be looking to get back into the outdoors the way I did. And along the way I discovered a whole bunch of amazing stories from other able sportsmen & women across this great country that needed to be told. That’s really why we created Able Outdoors to begin with.
When it comes to how to get back into the outdoors, some of the same issues I faced after I was paralyzed still exist today, and being able to find all the info you need about where to go, who to get in touch with and what kind of adaptive equipment you might need are some of the problems I want to solve for you. I want Able Outdoors can fill that void.
I’m a hunter and a fisherman. I’m a dog handler and an outdoorsman, and every now and then I get to guide other people in the field.
We go out and hunt and fish and travel just like the able-bodies do, and we’re going to show you how.
I’m super-excited to be joining Ashlee on this adventure because I know how passionate she is about the outdoors and how much she wants to help others get back outside, especially women. We have a lot of the same ideas on what we want to accomplish together, and it feels like she’s the perfect person at the perfect time in the perfect place.
As Co-Host of Able outdoors, my primary duty will be to make sure the product we put out will be as informative as it is entertaining. We’ll cover every aspect of able outdoors and show people how we do things whenever we go afield. Naturally, we will focus on hunting & fishing, but a constant variety of topics will be the current that drives our ship.
Which pretty much leads me to where I sit today, poised at the starting gate of a video series that will be by, for and all about able sportsmen. I really look forward to showing the world about what we can accomplish. I hope you will enjoy the ride as much as we will. I can’t wait!
Ashlee Lundvall, Co-Host
Ashlee Lundvall was an active teenager and four-sport athlete when she was injured in a ranching accident in 1999 while attending a youth camp in Wyoming. A tragic fall onto the wooden handle of a pitchfork broke her back at T-12, resulting in a complete spinal cord injury and the introduction of a wheelchair to her life. After returning home to Indiana to finish her rehabilitation, Ashlee graduated from IUPUI in 2005 with a BS in Public Affairs, and completed her graduate studies in Biblical Counseling in 2007.
In 2007, Ashlee moved to Wyoming with her husband, Russ. She quickly immersed herself in the amazing outdoor adventures provided by the mountainous region, and in 2008 helped found Wyoming Disabled Hunters. Besides hunting, Ashlee loves fly fishing, camping, four-wheeling, kayaking, hand cycling, and tearing around in her Action Track Chair. She also enjoys passing on her love for the outdoors to her daughter, Addison, who was born in 2010.
Ashlee’s speaking career was reborn when she was crowned Ms. Wheelchair USA in 2013, and in 2015, she was given the Wyoming Trustee Award. Her first book, A Redefined Life, was released in February of 2016. She is a National Pro Staffer for Mossy Oak and a member of the NRA’s Disabled Shooting Sports and Outreach committees. Ashlee is also the recipient of the 2017 SCI Foundation Pathfinder Award. President Trump recently appointed her to the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition.
“Ashlee is a unique ambassador for the outdoors. She earned the title of Ms. Wheelchair USA with her platform of making the outdoors more accessible to everyone. She was and is today an animal lover and a hunter. These two unique characteristics don’t seem to be compatible even though they really are. Most of us take our ability to get into a vehicle, drive to the woods and go hunting for granted. But for Ashlee, it’s a decision to do whatever she must do to get to wherever she needs to go to find game to hunt. Ashlee is not only an ambassador for the outdoors. She’s an ambassador for the 2.2 million people in the United States who depend on wheelchairs for day-to-day tasks and mobility and for the Americans in wheelchairs who are participating more in outdoor sports and activities. She brings an unusual perspective on who can hunt, fish, hike, canoe and kayak in the great outdoors.” – John E. Phillips, Outdoor Writer
Ashlee truly shines as a keynote speaker at outdoor industry and disability related events and conferences. She is passionate about mentoring newly injured patients and lives to pass on her love for adapted outdoor recreation.
“I would love to see more people with disabilities represented in outdoor media, advertising and organizations. We are the only minority group that anyone can become a part of at any time, and we’re growing larger every year. The outdoors can be such a healing place, and it needs to be made more available to people of all abilities.
I am excited about this new venture with Chad for several reasons. First, I know we’re gonna’ have a lot of fun! Second, I want to encourage others to push the boundaries and see what is possible. I am looking forward to showing the full gamut of adventures, from local, DIY hunts to experiences involving extensive travel, and what that can look like if you are living with a disability. We’ll evaluate adaptive equipment, show people how to cook the game and fish they harvest and catch, and share tips and tricks for making the outdoors a more accessible place for all. It’s going to be quite a ride – I hope you join us along the way!”
