Cory Lee has visited all seven continents while living with a muscle disease.
Turning Rejection Into Success
Cory Lee is a 35-year-old traveler from the United States. He has visited 55 countries despite using a power wheelchair. A manager once denied him a job because of his disability. The manager thought Cory could not handle the required travel. Cory decided to prove that person wrong. He started his blog, Curb Free with Cory Lee, in 2013.
Growing Up With SMA
Cory has spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) type 2. His mother noticed him falling down at age two. Doctors used a muscle biopsy to confirm his diagnosis. He began using a power wheelchair full-time at age four. His muscles get weaker over time. Now, he cannot lift his elbows or straighten his legs.
Global Adventures and Challenges
Cory has ridden a camel in the Sahara Desert. He also went paragliding in Switzerland and visited India. However, flying remains his biggest struggle. He must stow his chair in the cargo hold. He worries that workers might damage his chair during the flight.
“I would love to be able to stay in my wheelchair on the plane,” Cory said.
Hope for the Future
There were no treatments when Cory was a child. He only had pool therapy to stretch his muscles. Now, he is glad that new gene therapies exist for children. He feels hopeful for the next generation of kids with SMA.