IN THE NEWS
A small collection of Ian's Ride in the media.
“Infrastructure in general is designed around the vehicle rather than the person. There are so many alternative ways of transportation and so many places we lack the infrastructure for that to be possible.”
When Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) first met Ian Mackay in August of 2019, he hadn’t yet broken the Guinness World Record for the longest distance covered in 24 hours in a mouth-controlled power wheelchair—an accomplishment he achieved this past June.
AGNEW — The Olympic Discovery Trail has been Ian Mackay’s escape, solace and access to the beauty and landscape of the North Olympic Peninsula. It also became the training ground for a record-setting ride that proved to be one of the most challenging experiences in his life.
A Washington man in a mouth-controlled motorized wheelchair set a new world record at Sauvie Island on June 22.
On June 22, accessibility advocate Ian Mackay blew his way to a new world record for distance wheeled in 24 hours by mouth-controlled power wheelchair. Mackay, a C3 quadriplegic who lives in Port Angeles, Washington, broke the old record of 173.98 miles by driving 184.4 miles in just under 24 hours.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – In a record attempt, Ian Mackay is working to travel 174 miles in 24 hours, all on a motorized “sip and puff” wheelchair.
Ian Mackay, Port Angeles entrepreneur, nonprofit founder, outdoor enthusiast, and advocate for accessibility, has a new feather in his cap; world record holder.
Agnew’s internationally acclaimed advocate for wheelchair-accessible trails and roadways will embark Sunday on his third long-distance ride since 2016 — this time traversing California’s Redwood Coast.
It takes a certain kind of dedication to get out on a trail every day. Like, every day. Seven days a week. Rain or shine. Scorching days, freezing days and every kind of day in between. “The last day I missed was Halloween 2016,” said Ian Mackay. He surpassed consecutive day number 1,000 in July.
PORT ANGELES — For Ian Mackay, seeing the world at 7 mph can be a joyous thing.
To prove his point, Mackay is leading a group of friends and supporters on a three-day “Sea to Sound” journey along portions of the Olympic Discovery Trail from central Clallam County to Port Townsend.
PORT ANGELES — An Agnew man whose mission is to promote accessibility and encourage people to get outside is hosting a three-day group ride traveling the length of the Olympic Discovery Trail later this month.
Apple is making a push for greater accessibility with iOS 13, iPadOS 13, and Mac Catalina. In the WWDC keynote, Apple showcased a video in which Ian Mackay, a disability advocate, bike-path enthusiast, and quadriplegic, effortlessly uses his Mac and iPhone to coordinate a nature ride with a friend.
In 2008, Ian Mackay was attending University of California Santa Cruz and crashed his bicycle on his way home from campus sustaining a C2 spinal cord injury. This “accident’ resulted in ventilator support for the first year afterwards, rehabilitation, and ultimately, a new life without the ability to feel or move below the neck/shoulders.
It’s late March and Ian Mackay heads out to continue his streak of consecutive days with at least one mile on the Olympic Discovery trail near his home in Port Angeles, Washington. He started back in October 2016. Today is day 508.
Ian is a lover of the outdoors. He likes to spend as much time outside as possible enjoying nature, bird watching and experiencing the seasons change all around him. Ian’s life drastically changed in 2008 when he was in a bicycle crash that resulted in a spinal cord injury. At 26, Ian found himself paralyzed from the neck down and completely lost.
Ian Mackay was left paralyzed from the neck down in 2008 following a bicycle accident, but that hasn’t stopped him from inspiring others and creating change.
Ian Mackay was 26 years old when a bicycle accident left him with a life-changing spinal cord injury. Ten years and nearly 10,000 wheelchair miles later, Mackay is charging ahead with life as a quadriplegic, pursuing his love of the outdoors and using technology to assist along the way.
Ian Mackay is on a 7 MPH bike tour across Washington State for the second time. As of press time, he and his riding partners are a day’s journey beyond the Grand Coulee Dam heading west on their trip from Spokane to his home near Port Angeles.
A spinal cord injury can take many things away, including physical loves that are no longer possible. For Ian Mackay, the great love in his life was bicycling. He was an avid cycler at the time of his injury, but he did not let his passion completely disappear once he became paralyzed. Instead, he found a new way to enjoy the open road, and he’s been helping thousands of others along the way.
A triumphant Ian Mackay last week crossed the Clallam-Jefferson County line with supporters cheering him on.
PORT ANGELES, Wash. – A man who gained international attention when he rode his wheelchair from Port Angeles to Portland in 2016 is preparing for a 13-day journey that will take him through the heat of eastern Washington and across the North Cascades.
SPOKANE, Wash. - From Coeur d'Alene to the Cascades, one Washington man is going the distance to prove that everyone should be able to access the outdoors.
A Port Angeles, Washington man who is advocating for more and safer open-road options for disabled travelers has begun a cross-state journey.
Ian Mackay began his trip in his motorized wheelchair in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho on Sunday. He traveled the Centennial Trail to Spokane and then left for Davenport this morning [Monday].
Coeur d’Alene --> Cascades --> Coast: Quadriplegic to ride electric wheelchair across Washington
Two years ago, Ian Mackay rode his electric wheelchair from Port Angeles, through Seattle and Pierce County and to Portland to raise awareness for the need for accessibility in the outdoors.
This year, he’s got a bigger mountain to climb — the North Cascades Highway.
Agnew man plans hot, steep ride in a wheelchair
An Agnew man who gained international attention when he rode his wheelchair from Port Angeles to Portland, Ore., in 2016 is preparing for a 13-day journey that will take him through the heat of Eastern Washington and across the North Cascades.
Meet the man traveling 300 miles by wheelchair for more accessible trails
Eight years ago, Ian Mackay was on a routine bike ride back from class at the University of California, Santa Cruz, when his entire life changed.
“I was going pretty quick on the bike trail back to my house — I always was a bit of a speed demon — when I hit some sand and wiped out,” Mackay told GrindTV. “I went headfirst into a tree and suffered a spinal chord injury. I broke my neck.”
Anacortes quadriplegic rides across state for a cause
He tops out at just 7 mph these days, and that's probably a good thing given what put Ian Mackay in his wheel chair.
“I hit some sand on the trail. Wiped out. Hit a tree. Broke my neck,” he said.
Mackay estimates he was going almost 40 mph on his bike 8 years ago, when he crashed and lost the use of his arms and legs.
Man traveling 300 miles by wheelchair to raise awareness for accessible trails
A disabled man is rolling his way through Washington in a power wheelchair to bring awareness to the need for more accessible trails and bike paths.
Ian Mackay embarked on the first part of his 10-day journey Saturday. He plans to travel more than 300 miles.
The route will span the entire state and use multi-use paths, trails and roadways. The trip will begin in the San Juan Islands, move down into Seattle and end in Portland.
This man is traveling 300 miles by wheelchair to push for more accessible nature trails
Ian Mackay considers himself a cyclist and a birder a nature buff who gets lost on lush trails near his Washington state home for hours every day.
But if popular opinion had its way, many people wouldn't expect Mackay to be able to pursue this passion. They may even assume he couldn't truly enjoy the outdoors independently.
Rolling Through Washington: Ian Mackay’s Ride Is Coming Up
Ian Mackay is getting ready to roll later this month on his quest to traverse Washington by wheelchair and highlight the need for safe, accessible, complete connections. You can see the planning process and shoutouts to those helping make this possible on his ride blog.
Agnew quadriplegic to take long ride in wheelchair to illustrate need for accessible trails
A quadriplegic Agnew man will soon set off in his motorized wheelchair on a journey across the state to bring attention to the need for pathways accessible to disabled people, he said.
“This year, I am setting aside two weeks to go across the state of Washington,” Ian MacKay, 34, said recently at his home in Agnew where he has lived with his mother and stepfather for the last eight years.