'Big joy': How a mother and son are making hiking more accessible, one trail at a time

After Patricia Pyrka and her son Finnan, who has cerebral palsy, moved to Toronto from Germany for treatment, they wanted to enjoy the great outdoors together.

Having a lifelong love of hiking, Patricia looked for places to take Finnan out for a hike in his wheelchair. She initially asked friends to recommend stroller-friendly trails, but soon realized they were harder than expected to navigate with a wheelchair.

When Patricia reached out to an Ontario hiking community group on Facebook for some advice and answers to her questions, she says the response was "heartwarming."

"I had always thought I couldn't share my love for nature with Finnan. So it was just a big joy and relief to be able to just get out and do it," Patricia told CTV’s Your Morning on Wednesday.

The mother and son duo have since created the Facebook group Wheelchair Hikers & Supporters Ontario, aimed at making connections and finding support to make hiking more accessible for wheelchair users who want to explore trails outdoors.

Patricia posts times she and Finnan want to go hiking on the group forum. Then, folks who are willing and able to help can volunteer to join.

Patricia and Finnan have now explored 45 provincial and national parks, as well as conservation areas in Ontario. Thanks to helping hands and new equipment including mountain bike tires for Finnan’s wheelchair, the mother and son are tackling more challenging trails and getting better as they go.

Finnan says travelling outside the city to spend time outdoors is his favourite part of hiking, and his favourite destination to hike is Dundas Valley Conservation Area in Hamilton.

"I think you can't make all trails wheelchair accessible in the traditional sense, but existing structures like bridges, boardwalks could definitely see some improvements," Patricia suggests, when asked further improvements to make trails accessible.

"Avoid stairs at all costs. Replace them with ramps or zig zag type of trails. I think giving people either equipment or funding for equipment that would allow them to conquer those trails would be super helpful," adds Patricia.

For wheelchair users who want to start hiking, Patricia says start small and easy to build your stamina, and take supporters with helping hands.

"Let’s normalize the image and idea of people with mobility devices out there," says Patricia.

Watch the complete interview with Patricia and Finnan at the top of this article.