A student who became a paraplegic after a horror skiing accident has impressed millions by showing how he goes about everyday tasks now he’s in a wheelchair.
Jimmy Jan, 22, broke his back on August 9, 2021, at Perisher Ski Resort after performing a jump incorrectly at a high speed, landing on his head and crushing his spine.
He took his fans through how he changes his wheelchair’s ‘shoes’ – a job that has to be done at least once a year.
While Jimmy said changing his wheelchairs tyres was the same process as changing bicycle wheels, it was no easy feat but he managed complete the task while laughing at his confusion.
Jimmy shared the tyre-changing process in an online video and viewers were wowed by the little-known challenges that comes with living life in a wheelchair.
Jimmy Jan became a paraplegic after a horror skiing accident and has shown his followers how he changes his wheelchair tyres in a hilarious online video
The medical student’s tyres were so worn down they would squeak every time he changed direction and wouldn’t grip when he engaged the brake.
‘The worst part about it that when I wheel, they squeak and it is so annoying. I just want you to imagine moving about every day and every time you change directions you just hear this,’ Jimmy said in a TikTok clip as his wheels squeaked along the floor.
‘It’s annoying right? That’s why I got some new shoes. The wheels are like the feet of a wheel chair so I assume the tyres have to be the shoes.’
Jimmy explained the wheels were similar to that of a bicycle but joked it had been a long time since he had been on a bike let alone changed a tyre.
‘I’m sure there are some bike people watching this and thinking ‘wow, this guy is not doing any of this properly’ and if that’s the case well please let me know because I am all about learning,’ he said.
While Jimmy said changing his wheelchairs tyres was the same process as changing bicycle wheels, it was no easy feat but he managed complete the task while laughing at his confusion
Jimmy broke his back on August 9, 2021, at Perisher Ski Resort after performing a jump incorrectly at a high speed, landing on his head and crushing his spine
‘This is also something that I will need to do for the rest of my life so if I’m doing something wrong tell me now.’
Jimmy had to deflate and remove the old inner tube and tyre, place a new inner tube on and inflate it once the new tyre was over the top.
‘You know what makes me angry, I’m going to edit this into a two minute video but you’re never going to know how much time I spent on this,’ he laughed before revealed the first wheel had taken him almost half an hour to replace.
Once the new tyres had been installed, Jimmy took his new-and-improved wheelchair for a spin around his kitchen and tested the brakes which now held the chair solidly in place.
Jimmy shared the tyre-changing process in an online video and viewers were wowed by the little-known challenges that comes with living life in a wheelchair
‘I’m ecstatic right now, so silent…now I can sneak up on people,’ he joked.
Jimmy’s clip has been viewed more than 2.4million times and had many in the comments in stitches while others admitted they didn’t know wheelchairs tyre needed to be replaced.
‘Why did it never occur to me that wheelchair users need to replace the tires?’ one viewer asked.
‘I always assumed that wheelchair tires were solid. I enjoy learning from you and I love your great life attitude. Be well, friend,’ another said.
Jimmy’s clip has been viewed more than 2.4million times and had many in the comments in stitches while others admitted they didn’t know wheelchairs tyre needed to be replaced
‘Honestly this is pretty cool to watch because I didn’t know wheelchair wheels were like bike tires. I thought they had like solid wheels,’ a third replied.
‘Every time I see your video I think ‘wow his apartment is empty’ but then I realise it kinda has to be,’ someone else commented.
Keen bikers applauded Jimmy’s effort and said he looked like he ‘knew what he was doing’.
‘As a bike tech you’re doing great! Those tires are so much harder to change than the average bike tire. Super impressive,’ one man wrote.
‘Hi! I’m the token bike mech of my friends. You looked like you knew exactly what you were doing!’ a second agreed.
Jimmy also gave an insight into how he drives car saying his vehicle has been customised to include hand-operated controls after an incident that almost ended in disaster
Jimmy also gave an insight into how he drives car saying his vehicle has been customised to include hand-operated controls.
While the car had buttons for the accelerator and brake, it still includes the standard foot pedals below the steering wheel.
He shared another video when he thought the car was malfunctioning because it would suddenly take off but he didn’t realise he had his foot on the accelerator.
Jimmy said when he turns his car on a button that ‘activate the hand controls’ starts flashing.
He noticed it wasn’t flashing so assumed it was a problem with the light but when he took the car out of park into reverse it ‘floored it’ backwards.
The hand-controlled accelerator was not responding and when Jimmy put the car in drive it lunged forward.
Thankfully, Jimmy hit the brakes in time so the car did not crash in either instances and Jimmy soon figured out it was because he had accidentally placed his foot down on the accelerator.
‘That was quite the crisis,’ he joked as he slowly backed the car out of his parking space.
Viewers were in stitches over Jimmy’s driving gaffe and were grateful it incident didn’t lead to an accident or injury.
‘So…you can drive with your foot…just as long as you never need to stop…’ one joked.
‘Glad you didn’t get hurt!’ a second said and a third laughed: HAHAA I’m actually wheezing though I would be PANICKING’.
‘Gave me a heart attack seeing your foot on the accelerator. Man don’t do that again, we don’t want to lose you,’ another wrote.
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