Disabled teen becomes world's first person to do a backflip in a WHEELCHAIR



A daredevil teenager has become the first person ever to perform a backflip in a wheelchair.

Aaron Fotheringham, 16, who is known to friends as ‘Wheels’, finally landed the official world record after learning the amazing acrobatic stunt two years ago.

Aaron, who was born with spina bifida and has been in a chair since he was three, said: ‘It feels awesome to have the record.’

Head over wheels: Aaron Fotheringham, 16, performs the record-breaking stunt



The American teenager is also credited with creating the sport of ‘hardcore sitting’ where daring stunts adapted from skateboarding and BMX are performed in a wheelchair.

‘It’s wonderful,’ said his mother, Kaylene Fotheringham after he was accepted by the World Records Accademy last month.

‘We always thought he was the first one to do it but today we know he has the world record.’

He began doing stunts at the age of nine when his elder brother Brian took him to their local skate-park in Las Vegas.

Brian encouraged him to go down a ramp and the obsession was born.

Now Aaron gets flown all over the world to perform stunts and spends at least three hours a day practicing.

‘I love being in a wheelchair,’ said Aaron. ‘Everyone thinks "Oh you’re disabled that’s such a terrible thing" but I think it’s positive.

‘It’s like being able to carry your skateboard everywhere with you. People don’t realise how much can be done in a chair.’

Wheelie pleased: Aaron, who was born with spina bifida, invented 'harcore sitting'



Aaron’s unofficial record is six back flips in a row, however, under the pressure of the day he could not get any consecutive flips.

‘I’m going to nail that record sometime in the future,’ says Aaron.

Completing each trick requires complete concentration and perfect judgement of speed and Aaron has suffered a few nasty crashes in the past.

‘I’ve shattered my elbow and had concussion too many times to count,’ said Aaron.

Approaching the ramp at the wrong speed could result in a crash where Aaron’s entire body-weight and weight of his chair lands on his neck.

‘I always wear a helmet and pads but it still hurts when you fall,’ he says.

Aaron has become quite a celebrity in the skate scene and has also become a hero to wheelchair users all over the world.

‘I get little kids telling me they like being in their chair now,’ says Aaron who has visitors from all over the U.S. come to ask him for tips.

Recently he’s been teaching one adoring fan, a tiny four-year-old called Zachary, some basic stunts.

‘Zachary’s a great kid,’ he says ‘It feels so cool to get people interested in hardcore sitting,’ he says.

‘I can’t describe how good it feels.’ ‘I hope it becomes more and more popular so we can get it into events all over the world.’



Whirled record: Aaron first pulled the trick in 1996 but now the feat is official



Aaron has been a sponsored athlete through specialist wheelchair makers Colours Inc, since he was 12 years old.

Colours Inc make high-tech, custom chairs and accessories for sports and off-roading.

Aaron’s £5,000 chair is made of reinforced aluminium with suspension, shock absorbers and a 'grind bar' for street and ramp stunts.

Aaron’s friend and mentor at Colours, Ernie Espinoza, said: ‘Aaron punishes a chair like no one at Colours has ever seen, we take pride in knowing that we can build a chair that stands up to the test of Aaron Fotheringham.’

Watch the amazing video below...



