Rolling through life side by side, “Don’t give up, just keep trying"
On the last day of school in 1984, at just 13 years old, Chad M. Roth’s life changed forever.
Roth was riding in a car with three friends when they missed a turn. “My head went into the windshield and that popped the C4, C5 [cervical vertebrae]—popped it into the spinal cord. It pretty much changed everything after that,” says Roth.
Roth doesn't remember the accident. He only remembers waking up in the hospital weeks later, and the doctor coming in to tell him he'd never walk again. Roth is quadriplegic, but he has some muscle function in his right arm that allows him to control the steering on his electric wheelchair.
“Part of me thinks I still haven’t accepted it,” says Roth, “and that’s where I might be a little different than most.”
Despite the hardships, Roth managed to create a successful life for himself. He was able to drive a custom-made van, was a programmer for many years, and won a programming award from Microsoft. He’s owned businesses and even designed a house.
Roth’s latest endeavor is the sport of "powerchair skating." Roth isn’t sure if he invented the term or not, but he thinks it’s a great opportunity to pair a disabled person with a non-disabled person. It has allowed him to get outside, explore, and help him feel a sense of normalcy.
“When I come into work, I drop my bag off, I get my skates on, we get our sunglasses and speakers, out the door we go,” says Amber Riggs.
Riggs is one of Roth’s caretakers. She works Fridays and Saturdays, and her shift always includes vigorous powerchair skating sessions. It all started around two years ago: Roth wanted to spend Christmas and New Years in L.A. and Las Vegas, but Riggs wasn’t interested in walking behind Roth’s fast chair.
“So I decided to get a pair of roller skates, and we skated all over California and all over Vegas,” says Riggs. The two saw the sites in one of the most unique ways possible. They continued their skating in Denver, and have logged over 1,000 miles together.
Now, they’re striving to hit 1,000 miles in 2020 alone. So far, they’re at about 800. Roth is able to control the speed and the steering through a joystick; he has some use of the muscles in his right arm. Riggs holds on to a custom handlebar on the back, and off they go. They’re a sight to see—especially when they break out their matching outfits.
“When I first started working for him, I noticed a lot of people staring,” says Riggs. “I put us in matching outfits so when people stare at us, they smile now.” Both Riggs and Roth enjoy bringing some positivity into the world.
Roth has simple, clear advice when asked what he would say to a person who is going through a struggle. “Don’t give up. Just keep trying. I’ve made so many mistakes, you just have to shrug them off and try the next one…isn’t that what life’s about? We’re here to learn knowledge through experience, which is wisdom,” Roth says. “You’re not going to get through life without making mistakes.”