When Ian Mackay became paralyzed from the neck down after a 2008 bicycle accident, he found comfort in riding his wheelchair through Washington state's Olympic Discovery Trail.
“One of the biggest things that helped me rediscover who I was and who I was going to be as a paralyzed man was getting out on our local trails here on the peninsula,” he told INSIDER.
Mackay enjoyed it so much, in fact, that he decided to ride through the entire state to advocate for accessible nature trails.
The result: Ian's Ride, an epic 11-day journey spanning some 350 miles.
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In 2008, Mackay was riding his bike home from UC Santa Cruz when he crashed headfirst into a tree. His helmet broke and he became paralyzed from the neck down.
“The first few years after that happened were very difficult,” he said. “I think we all define ourselves very physically, whether we like to think so or not, and once we lose our body, once we lose that connection to our arms and our legs, we really have to kind of re-find ourselves.”
He moved to Washington to be with family, and the state’s accessible Olympic Discovery Trail helped him rediscover his love of the outdoors.
“I was a biology student, I spent a lot of time outdoors, I was really into cycling," he said. "To get out there on the trail and hear the birds singing, and meet other people that are just out cruising around was where I found my solace and started to enjoy being out again, enjoy living.”
Spending time on the Olympic Discovery Trail inspired him to explore even more of the state.
Last year, he put over 2,000 miles on his wheelchair on the trail systems around his home.
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