David standing in front of his luxury tour bus.

It’s our pleasure to introduce our readers to the absolute force that is David King; an ex-drummer, lover of music and an amputee, who lives in the mountains on the outskirts of Melbourne, Australia. His home sits on the side of a hill with the only access being a gravel driveway on quite a steep slope.

In order to easily come and go from his home, David requires a powerchair that can easily climb up the steep incline onto the dirt roads and paths that surround his beautiful bushland abode.

After trialling many different powerchair options, David was struggling to find a suitable chair for his situation. He was keen to find a solution that afforded him greater independence and freedom, but also helped him to feel safe on his own land.

He said when researching and trialling mobility solutions, he felt he “had no control, and it was dangerous.”

After months of dead ends and growing frustration, David finally got the opportunity to trial our Extreme X8, and for the first time he was able to confidently travel up his front driveway, out onto the dirt road and to zoom around his front yard. His immediate feedback?

David using his hoist to lift the X8 into the back of his car.

“It is perfect! For where I am and what I’m doing, it’s absolutely ideal.”

David’s wish list included a few extra features that made us realise that this powerchair was going to be used for so much more than just getting around his home. His dream chair included:

• A fishing rod holder – super important!
• Fold forward backrest – reduces overall height of the chair for easy transportation
• Lifting rings – allows users to lift their chair in and out of the back of a suitable car or van
• Recline – repositions the user to reduce the potential for aches, pains and pressure sores
• Swing back joystick – allows for repositioning of the controller so you can get closer to desks and tables, and to assist with transfers
• Steering lock – this helps to ensure users can keep the right line over rough terrain

Tour passes from bands and celebrities David has driven for.

Once we arrived to deliver his chair, more pieces of the puzzle started to come together; David is a luxury tour bus owner. He hires out his luxury coach and driving services to famous bands and artists travelling up and down the east coast of Australia on tour. Think Katy Perry, Norah Jones, Jet and Bliss n Eso, among many more. If these bus walls could talk!

David advised he specifically needed the fold forward backrest so he could stow his Extreme X8 in the undercarriage of the bus. This gave us visions of him tackling the next level mud of Splendour in the Grass in his X8…epic!

When he’s not driving the bus for world-famous celebrities such as his all-time favourite, Bill Bailey, he loves getting away into the bush near Howqua in the Alpine region of Victoria. He most enjoys fishing, hiking with his wife and grandchildren, and exploring the beautiful and serene Aussie bushlands.

David’s retreat; the beautiful Howqua River in Victoria.

After learning more about David’s lifestyle, his choice of the Extreme X8 made complete sense;

1. The lifting rings (along with a hoist built into the back of his utility vehicle) allow him to transport the X8 wherever he wants to go when not in the tour bus
2. The fishing rod holder so he can drop a line in the Howqua River when he’s out in the bush
3. The recline feature – which is extra important when traveling up the incline of David’s driveway, allowing ground clearance so the footplate does not scrape and helps keep his weight evenly distributed
4. The addition of a rear stability roller helps to keep him stable and gives added peace of mind

“It’s perfect! There’s really no comparison to all the other chairs I trialled; this is like the Rolls Royce. The other chairs couldn’t even get up the hill. This is excellent!” David told us.

We left David’s property with a sense of joy and pride. Another happy customer and another opportunity to help someone enjoy their independence to live life the way they choose.

If you’re keen to experience more of the great outdoors and would like to enquire about one of our powerchairs, contact us here.

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David uses a Magic Mobility Extreme X8, this is a powered wheelchair, that may be attendant, or occupant driven and is available with collapsible and non-collapsible (fold forward) backrest options.

Always read the owner’s manual and follow the directions for use.