'An experience for everyone': Travel Alberta launches accessible adventure campaign

Ryan Straschnitzki is featured in Travel Alberta's new accessible adventure campaign. (Travel Alberta)

Travel Alberta has launched a new YouTube series focusing on accessible adventures available in the province.

The campaign coincides with National AccessAbility Week and features Airdrie’s Ryan Straschnitzki.

Six years ago, Straschnitzki was paralyzed from the chest down in the Humboldt Broncos bus crash and has since become an accessibility advocate.

Straschnitzki said he was approached by Travel Alberta to participate in the YouTube series featuring him and a friend getting out into nature along with different companies that offer adaptive experiences.

“All of us, at some point in our lives, our abilities are going to change,” said Steve Holly, founder of AdaptABLE Outdoors in southern Alberta.

“We don’t have to stop doing the activities that we love. There’s a way we can all adapt to still be able to do those things.”

Holly’s company is featured in the first episode in Waterton Lakes National Park.

Straschnitzki and his friend – sled hockey mentor Chris Cederstrand – got to go kayak sailing and fishing on Cameron Lake.

“I hadn’t experienced that before and I thought it was really eye-opening,” said Straschnitzki.

Straschnitzki said his favourite activity, which is featured in the second episode, is mountain biking at the Canmore Nordic Centre.

“The bike that I have allows me to get some exercise out of it … explore nature and make your own adventure out of it. So it’s pretty exciting.”

According to a 2022 study by MMGY Global, a marketing firm specializing in travel, those with mobility disabilities spend over $58 billion per year on travel.

They also average 3.4 leisure trips per year, which is the same frequency as those without mobility issues.

“There is an experience for everyone in Alberta,” said Tannis Gaffney, senior vice president, chief marketing officer at Travel Alberta.

“We want to thank Ryan for being such an inspirational host during this series and our partners at AdaptABLE and Rocky Mountain Adaptive for their dedication to ensuring everyone can find their wild side in Alberta.”

Along with showing how much fun adaptive sports can be, Straschnitzki is hoping the campaign can lead to change.

“For these activities to happen, we need to advocate more for architectural design and education behind people with different abilities. So it’s a long process and … it will take a lot of work and hopefully, this promo will help.”

The first episode launched on May 27 and can be viewed on YouTube. There will be another episode released this summer and two more released in the winter.