“My chair is how I interact with the world around me. I can’t function without it.“
— Tim Shin, River Vale, New Jersey
If you ask Tim Shin about his greatest accomplishment, he’ll tell you about the time he ate an entire box of Thin Mints on his own.
“Accomplishment or low point? I’m not sure,” Tim joked.
What the 29-year-old resident of New Jersey knows for sure is that life gives him inspiration.
Born with congenital cerebral palsy, Tim relies on a power chair for mobility. His Edge® 3 with iLevel® gives Tim a huge boost in quality of life. He has more confidence in social situations and can reach the top shelf of the refrigerator.
“My chair is how I ambulate and interact with the world around me. I can’t function without it,” Tim said.
Tim recently attended his sister’s wedding and walked his mother down the aisle while elevated during the ceremony. iLevel also came in handy during the reception, as Tim was able to easily navigate a room full of guests. And when it was time to get out on the dance floor, all the other guests were able to see Tim’s sweet dance moves.
“Dancing poorly is a passion of mine,” Tim said. “Normally, I find myself drowning in a sea of feet while trying to show off my moves. Everyone was able to witness the greatness of my modified line dancing because of iLevel.”
iLevel also allows Tim to be more active and successful in helping others. As the communications manager for a disability-focused nonprofit called AbleThrive, Tim works with his colleagues to provide web resources to power wheelchair users to help these individuals live their best lives.
In addition to his work at AbleThrive, Tim is a Q Roll Model for Quantum and has many passions and interests. He enjoys trying new foods, and loves television, fashion, shoes, music and movies. Tim is very interested to see Asian and disability representation continue to grow in mainstream media.
