The Origin of Waymaker:
It was Christmas time 2020, and Jacob Besicker enters the quiet woods of Florence, South Carolina with his brother Peyton. They were excited to go duck hunting and spend some quality time together. Jacob had no idea he would leave the woods with his life changed forever.
In the process of returning to their car, Jacob was accidentally shot in the side. It was a hunting accident, but neither of them knew how severe the injury was. Paramedics found them in the woods and transported Jacob to the hospital where he would spend the next month in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
After a month in the hospital, all Jacob knew was that he was still in pain and he couldn’t move his legs. He was transferred to Georgia to start physical therapy and that’s when it finally hit him: Jacob was paralyzed.
Jacob would spend the next five months going through six to eight hours a day of intense physical therapy. Some doctors were skeptical that Jacob would ever walk again, while some remained optimistic saying that if he just put in the work, he could walk again in some form. So, Jacob kept his head down and continued to do his best in rehab.
Recovery & Discovery:
More than a year had passed since his injury with tiny amounts of progress being made each day. Jacob was slowly proving even the most pessimistic doctors wrong. He went from no movement whatsoever to crutches and double leg braces. And eventually, Jacob would walk again, this time without any braces or crutches.
But even though he was able to walk, it was still hard to do some of the same things that he had always enjoyed like going to the beach, taking a hike, or even going hunting. This is when Jacob discovered off-road wheelchairs.
These off-road wheelchairs had chains and attachments that made the seemingly impossible…possible again. Rocks, sand, dirt, hills, and water weren’t a problem anymore. These wheelchairs could traverse it all. This wheelchair was going to give Jacob the ability to participate in the hobbies that brought him life again. There was just one problem: The cost.
These wheelchairs can range from $15,000 – $25,000 dollars depending on the design. Jacob thought it was an expensive investment for someone who would use it, but not enough to justify the cost. He thought it was wrong that he couldn’t enjoy his favorite hobbies anymore, and he knew he wasn’t the only one in the same boat.
An Idea is Born:
That’s when Jacob determined in his mind that, “someone’s mobility or financial status shouldn’t affect their freedom or quality of life.”
And from that determination came an idea: a Non-Profit off-road wheelchair organization that gives people rides for free throughout nature. Jacob was filled with energy and passion so he got to work. Jacob found a used wheelchair for $5,000 dollars and outfitted it to the same standards as the one he had tried himself months prior. Then, after testing it himself, he reached out to people to try out his wheelchair.
What came to be known as Waymaker Off-Road Wheelchairs was a success. Since the founding of Waymaker in 2022, through donations from small businesses across the country, they were able to design four fully decked-out wheelchairs capable of crossing any kind of terrain.
Siblings were now being walked down the aisle, bucket list beach visits were being had, and friends were going hunting again.
Jacob and Waymaker’s ultimate goal is to have one offroad wheelchair in every state park across the country so that those with mobile disabilities can still enjoy the great outdoors.
Top Talent & Waymaker Off-Road Wheelchairs:
Top Talent as a company was so inspired by Jacob’s story that we have decided to fund the purchase of Waymaker’s fifth wheelchair. Our company is mostly known for working with the best in Logistics and Supply Chain, but we also want to shine a light on those who are “Top Talent” in their community too. Top Talent is honored to be a part of further propelling Waymaker towards changing and impacting more lives for the better.
To learn more about Waymaker Off-Road Wheelchairs, please visit:
https://www.waymakeroffroadwheelchairs.com
If you are interested in donating (any amount helps), please visit: