My initial impression of the Alinker is that it is Magic!
Over a year ago I had a stroke during surgery. The affects were minor. Fortunately, my time using a wheelchair was short-lived, only about a month. And, luckily, I had no speech impairments. I soon regained my mobility.
However, in the Spring of this year, I twisted my knee and injured my meniscus. It was a setback and I reluctantly had to temporarily rely on using a walker. But I found the walker to be an inadequate aid. It was not a sturdy design and was useless on snow-covered sidewalks; not to mention that to use it, the user is slightly leaning forward with a lot of weight resting on their palms. For me, it was challenging going down an incline, because I had to bend my knee, which was still inflamed. When I had a few days of meetings at a hotel. Over the course of those days I actually had developed hard calluses on of my palms.
One day, I got an email with a link to the innovative It is described as a walking bicycle, actually a tricycle but without pedals. It looked amazing, and I had to have it. Mind you, I have only had mine for a few days, but I already can tell it is a game changer. The benefits far exceed the obvious, being more physically active, and the opportunity for more social interaction.
That said, the biggest impact I noticed was within myself. It is a major paradigm shift, a most phenomenal feeling. And it happened instantaneously, as soon as I sat on the Alinker. I instantly had a big grin. Is this what magic feels like? It was magic. You don't get that reaction from using any other aid, not a wheelchair, not a cane, and not a walker. What I felt was joy. Pure elation! Because of the independence it would give me. To have freedom, and to be mobile on my own two legs and feeling secure because of its sturdy design.
Freedom from stares, people wondering what happened to me? And further, I am no longer invisible, no longer just a disabled lady in a wheelchair or bent over a walker. Moreover, I actually see people eye to eye when we talk. When I am talking to someone, they are not looking down on me figuratively or literally. Because it puts us eye to eye, with nothing between us. It puts us on the same level in more ways than one. What a powerful emotional shift! If it can make this much of an impression on me, what is happening in others?
I imagine that when someone first sees the person on an Alinker, their first impression: “What is that cool thing you are riding on? What is it? It is not a bike. But it kind of looks like one!” They are attracted to its elegant design, then they notice the user, they don’t see the person as having a mobility challenge or being different. They see a human on a pretty cool and very different bike.
For me, this is everything, because you will begin a conversation not because of having to explain what challenge put you in a wheelchair or bending over a walker, but instead you are explaining what this innovative, brilliantly designed bike is. It draws your attention away from
any prejudices a stranger might have towards people with mobility challenges. But the real value is how it frees and inspires the user and engages people.
I can't help but think of adolescents, a phase in life when a person’s self-confidence is largely tied to what others think of them. And how just getting on this bike can impact a physically challenged adolescent to feel instant self-esteem and self-worth. If they only feel a fraction of what I am feeling, it will propel them to do extraordinary things in their life. It has that power. It is priceless. It is magical. It is genius.
It will change the world one person at a time, which was the original intent of the designer, it is changing mine. The power of the Alinker is its potential, and it is limitless. I think that even when my knee completely heals, I will still occasionally use my Alinker when I want to feel super human, while giving my legs a rest. It’s that good.
You can order it here: https://ca.thealinker.com/