Loren Cushing is a retired recreational athlete and physical therapist. Today, Cushing spends his time encouraging others to get out and be active.
He has organized a group of people on Wednesdays to do just that. The group's members are all wheelchair users.
They're called the Wednesday Wheelers, and they meet every Wednesday morning for exercise and camaraderie.
"We'll wheel for about an hour and come back and debrief and share what's happening in our lives," said Cushing. "I think we have almost a responsibility to share what we've learned with other people who are new to disability and using a wheelchair."
Cushing has been in a wheelchair since 1979, when he was diagnosed with Polio.
He missed the 13 years he spent playing basketball with the Lane County Low Riders, a wheelchair-friendly basketball team, and wanted to find a less competitive form of exercise.
"Movement is important for all of us," said Cushing. "Those of you who are using a wheelchair, get out and do what you can."
Linda Castle, a previous patient of Cushing, joined the Wednesday Wheelers just two months ago, after retirement.
She has used a wheelchair for 37 years but says this is the first group she's been a part of that participates in physical activity.
"I get so much information from everyone else on how the wheelchair is set up, tires, and then people have had their homes remodeled, and that has helped," said Castle.
Cushing says that help is one of the main reasons he started the Wednesday Wheelers.
"Meeting people who experience life in a similar way to yourself... it's important to interact and learn from each other," Cushing says.
For more information or to get involved with the Wednesday Wheelers, you can e-mail Cushing at lcush9@hotmail.com