Travel blogger who has explored 41 countries in his wheelchair hopes to inspire others like him

People mostly believe that individuals who use wheelchairs cannot travel great distances and are restricted by their medical condition. But 33-year-old Cory Lee's life is an example of how nothing is impossible, not even if you are a wheelchair user like him. Lee is a travel writer who helps wheelchair-bound people start "rolling around the world," according to his website - Curb Free with Cory Lee.

So far, he has visited 41 countries. He aims to inspire other wheelchair users to go out and explore the world just like him. According to his interview with Brain & Life, Lee has had a rare genetic disorder called spinal muscular atrophy since he was two years old and started using a wheelchair when he was four. The disease has progressed over the years and has severely affected his mobility.

At school, kids were pretty confused and often asked him questions about his wheelchair, but he never faced any severe stigma. Lee's love of travel sparked from an early age when his mother used to plan summer trips to Disney World and Washington D.C. with him. He traveled outside the U.S. for the first time at the age of 15 to the Bahamas. Lee admits that in the past 20 years, the transportation system and buildings have become much more accessible for wheelchair users.

Lee considers Barcelona as his favorite travel destination because every mode of transportation—like taxis, subway and buses—is accessible and it also has really great accessible beaches. "I started my blog, Curb Free with Cory Lee, in 2013. I've visited 41 countries so far. I travel about six months a year. The other half, I write and plan other trips," he told Brain and Life. But traveling in a wheelchair comes with its own share of challenges.

"For my high school graduation, my mother took me to Europe. I brought a converter and an adapter for my wheelchair, and when we plugged it in at a hotel in Germany, it blew a fuse and power went out in the entire hotel for about 15 minutes," he recalled. Lee also mentioned how flying is the toughest part of traveling as he does. "First, I have to get into what's called an aisle chair, which is a narrow wheelchair that can fit in the plane's aisles. Then I'm lifted into the airline seat. I spent the flight worrying about my wheelchair, which had been broken on half of my trips. Once it was so damaged that I couldn't drive it out of the airport. The airline had a repair company fix it the next day," he shared with the outlet.

He regularly documents his journeys and experiences on his website and social media - Facebook and Instagram. "Start small and local. Do research ahead of time about accessible bathrooms, taxis, restaurants and hotels. Once you've built up your confidence, take a short flight. And always expect some sort of trouble. Stay positive, and you'll have a memorable experience," he advised. 

The sky is the limit for Lee as he goes out to attend Taylor Swift's Eras Tour, tries adaptive paragliding in Switzerland and has a fun time at Disneyland. The wheelchair might be his constant companion, but it's certainly not stopping this brave guy from doing things previously deemed impossible for people like him.