Oakland, CA – The East Bay Regional Park District has partnered with wheelchair hiker and motivational speaker Bob Coomber, aka 4WheelBob, to provide an online hiking series geared toward accessible hiking trails, titled “Adventures with 4WheelBob.” Coomber will profile flat or slightly graded trails in the East Bay Regional Park District that can accommodate wheelchairs, mobility devices, parents with strollers, young children on bikes, or anyone looking for a pleasant place to enjoy nature and the outdoors. As an added bonus, Coomber will also highlight a “challenge” hike of greater length and ability. Adventures with 4WheelBob can be found on the East Bay Regional Park District’s website under a Feature (photo) box on the right side of the webpage or by typing www.ebparks.org/bobcoomber. Additional hikes will be updated monthly on the website.
Coomber is well-known in the East Bay as an active hiker, writer, and speaker. He became disabled after a long struggle with diabetes caused severe and irreversible osteoporosis. A lifelong hiker, Bob soon began experimenting with easy outdoors excursions and has become a staple of local newspaper and television shows – that guy in a wheelchair who won’t believe in limits. He’s also been featured in national news on the CBS “Early Show”, ABC’s “World News with Charles Gibson” and the Hallmark Channel.
On August 24, 2007 Coomber became the first person in a wheelchair to summit California’s third highest peak, 14,246’ White Mountain. He is also the first in a wheelchair to summit two local favorites, Mt. Diablo and its companion, North Peak, as well as Mission Peak in Fremont.
He has been very involved with the East Bay Regional Park District serving as a volunteer ambassador and as an appointed member of the Park Advisory Committee. “A day in our Regional Parks provides a chance to get close to nature, encourage exercise and enable all who venture onto a trail to take in a thousand wonders. I hope to see a lot of people take advantage of the amazing trails and sights and sounds of each of our Regional Parks,” says Coomber.
Coomber was inducted into the California Outdoors Hall of Fame in January, 2007. He was one of only 27 Americans to receive the President’s Council on Physical Fitness Community Leadership Award in 2008. In October of 2010, Bob plans to summit Africa’s highest peak, Kilimanjaro, and be the first unassisted wheelchair to make the journey. The trip will also serve to distribute 200 wheelchairs in Arusha, Tanzania, in partnership with The Wheelchair Foundation of Danville.
SOURCE: East Bay Regional Park District