Hi — and welcome to Rolling to Paradise.
If you’ve stumbled across this blog, you’re probably a fellow traveller — someone who loves the feeling of adventure, of exploring new places, and soaking in all the beauty this world has to offer. Maybe you’re also someone who faces a few more hurdles than most when it comes to getting out there. Either way, I’m really glad you’re here.
Let me tell you a little about me, and why I decided to start this blog.
My name is Brett, and I grew up surrounded by the turquoise waters and white sands of Bermuda. Some of my earliest memories are of snorkelling, splashing through tide pools, and spending hours on end in the ocean. As I got older, I learned to scuba dive and eventually began training as a scuba instructor. The ocean became more than just a playground for me — it was a sanctuary.
But life has a way of throwing you into the deep end, even when you’re not ready.
In 2009, while serving in the U.S. Army at Ft. Benning, GA, I injured my back — herniating a disk in my mid-spine (T5). At the time, I didn’t fully realise how serious it was. I toughed it out, as so many of us do, and kept moving forward. But over the years, something wasn’t right.
In August 2023, my legs started betraying me. I would fall, seemingly out of nowhere, my feet and legs no longer responding the way they should. I could feel pressure if someone squeezed my calf, but not the texture of my own clothes against my skin. I finally saw a neurologist who told me the herniated disk had been pressing into my spinal cord for years — causing permanent damage.
A month in the hospital. An 8-hour surgery. Another month recovering.
And when it was all over, the damage was done. The doctors stopped it from getting worse, but the feeling in my legs never came back. Today, I can stand and walk short distances with a cane, but most of the time, I rely on my wheelchair.
For a while, I wallowed. I thought about all the things I had lost — particularly my connection to the ocean. How could I scuba dive? How could I enjoy a beach that wasn’t even built for me anymore?
But here’s the thing: I’m nothing if not stubborn.
I decided I wasn’t going to let this stop me. I found ways — some creative, some simple — to enjoy the ocean again. And the more I dug into it, the more I realised how many others were out there, quietly struggling with the same challenges I faced, wondering if paradise was still theirs to claim.
So I created Rolling to Paradise.
This blog is part personal journal, part resource, and part stubborn declaration that adventure is for everyone — no matter what hurdles they face. I’ll share my experiences, tips, and lessons learned about traveling with a disability. I’ll highlight accessible vacation spots, point out challenges you might not expect, and hopefully show you that even if the path looks different now, it still leads to some pretty beautiful places.
So thank you for being here. I’m excited to share this journey with you — and I hope it helps you find your own piece of paradise, too.
Stay tuned. There’s so much more to come.