Dennis, back in the classroom, where he teaches a Hunter Education class at a middle school in Billings, Montana.An avid hunter, Dennis Hein, 56, enjoyed getting outdoors in Billings, Montana. For several years, he shared his enthusiasm for hunting by teaching a Hunter Education class in one of the local middle schools. But, a couple of years ago, nerve damage affected Dennis’s ability to walk, causing him to need a wheelchair and to cut back on his time spent outdoors on trails and at the shooting range.
Last year, Dennis couldn’t teach the Hunter Education class because he couldn’t make it up the school’s access ramp in his old wheelchair, nor could he get his old wheelchair’s front wheels over the threshold. At the shooting range, he couldn’t sit in his wheelchair while shooting for fear of tipping over. Even when seated on a bench, he worried about losing his balance from his rifle’s recoil.
This year, things have changed. Shooting while seated in his RoughRider®, Dennis is more confident, knowing that his chair is stable and won’t tip over sideways. And, he’s once again teaching his Hunter Education class and going to the shooting range. “The chair just makes getting around a whole lot easier. I can get around in tight spaces easier and get over the rough spots much easier. I even attempted to go up a mountain bike path that I would not have attempted in my old chair.” Dennis is also thrilled that he can once again enjoy watching his granddaughters play softball and volleyball.