Chad Waligura

Chad & Trixie
Chad & Trixie
BornChad Alan Waligura
(1969-03-19) March 19, 1969 (age 55)
OccupationOutdoor writer, magazine editor, professional disabled hunter
Alma materTexas A&M University, University of Houston, Victoria

Chad Alan Waligura (born March 19, 1969) is an American outdoor writer, magazine editor, and professional disabled hunter. It was for his work as a disabled hunter that he was named Buckmasters' 2003 Challenged Hunter of the Year [1] and was chosen by Safari Club International for the Pathfinder Award[2] in 2010.

Life and career

Born the son of Judy Dore' Waligura of Crowley, Louisiana, and Randy Waligura of Garwood, Texas, Waligura grew up in the town of El Campo, Texas. At an early age, he was introduced to hunting and fishing by his father and grandfather, Ben Waligura.

On July 7, 1986, at age 17, Waligura suffered a paralyzing injury after diving into a swimming pool, fracturing his cervical vertebrae at the C-7 level. He spent the next three months at TIRR Memorial Hermann in Houston, Texas. After being discharged, Waligura returned to TIRR Memorial Hermann periodically to visit with patients to talk about outdoor life and to give presentations on adaptive equipment.[3]

Waligura graduated from El Campo High School in 1988. In 1993, he graduated from Texas A&M University with a bachelor's degree in Wildlife & Fisheries Science. From there, Waligura went on to earn a Master of Education (M.Ed.) from the University of Houston, Victoria, in 2002.

In 1996, Waligura founded a website called Follow Me Outdoors,[4] as an information source about disabled hunting and fishing. It was around this time that he began freelancing for mainstream hunting magazines. Waligura has been published in Buckmasters' Rack magazine,[5] King's Hunting Illustrated, Eastman's Hunting Journal,[6] Horizontal Bowhunter Magazine,[7] UFFDA magazine, Turkey & Turkey Hunting, and the African Hunting Gazette.[8] He was the cover story of Sports-N-Spokes[9] magazine published by the Paralyzed Veterans of America on the March, 2010 issue.

Waligura became a founding member of the TIRR Peers Organization in 1997. TIRR Peers was formed in order to connect older, surviving TIRR veterans with new patients based on common injuries and/or interests.[10]

In the year 2000, Waligura began organizing group duck and deer hunts for disabled outdoorsmen and women in the state of Texas[2]

To date, Waligura has hunted in Mexico, Canada, Argentina and South Africa, as well as in Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, New Mexico, Colorado, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

In 2010, Waligura launched and became editor of an online magazine called Disabled Hunter Magazine[11] for physically challenged outdoorsmen which was changed to Able Outdoors before publishing began in 2015.[12]

In 2021, Chad teamed up with Ashlee Lundvall from Cody, Wyoming, in order to start filming videos for Able Outdoors and promote "able" sportsmen and women in the outdoors[13]

References

  1. ^ Sullivan, David. "Realizing Their Dreams." Buckmasters Whitetail Magazine Oct. 2004: 72+.
  2. ^ a b Matocha, Quala (18 February 2011). ""Paving the Way for Others." El Campo Leader-News 16 February 2011, Wednesday ed., Lifestyle sec. El Campo Leader-News". Retrieved 2 March 2011.[permanent dead link‍]
  3. ^ Wood, Lori A. (2 November 2005). "Great Outdoorsman – United Spinal's Action Online Magazine". United Spinal Association. Archived from the original on 18 July 2011. Retrieved 2 March 2011.
  4. ^ "Disabled, Hunting, Wheelchair, Outdoors, Recreation, Resources". Follow Me Outdoors. Retrieved 2012-09-21.
  5. ^ Waligura, Chad. "300-Yard 'MISS' Rolls Pronghorn." Rack Nov. 2001: 48-50. Print.
  6. ^ Waligura, Chad. "On the Trail of Boone & Crockett." Eastmans' Hunting Journal Oct-Nov 2006: 34-36. Print.
  7. ^ Waligura, Chad. "The Point of Impact." Horizontal Bowhunter Winter 2011: 24-25. Print.
  8. ^ Waligura, Chad. "Wheelz Across Africa." African Hunting Gazette Spring 2011: 74-77. Print.
  9. ^ Waligura, Chad. "Follow Me!" Sports 'N Spokes Mar. 2010: 42-45. Print.
  10. ^ ""Transforming Lives Interrupted by Disability: TIRR Celebrates 50 Years of Breakthroughs." TIRR Memorial Hermann Journal Fall (2009)" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 May 2011. Retrieved 21 September 2012.
  11. ^ "Disabled Hunter Magazine". Dhuntmag.com. Retrieved 2012-09-21.
  12. ^ "Able Outdoors by Able Outdoors - Issuu". issuu.com. 21 October 2015. Retrieved 2023-02-28.
  13. ^ "Welcome to Able Outdoors". Retrieved 2023-02-28.