Summary
On this episode of The Bentonville Beacon, host James Bell is joined by Jeremy McGhee, Founder of The UNPavement, a movement that’s helping everyone get off the pavement and into the wild to heal our hurting culture of Nature Deficit Disorder. Jeremy is also Founder of JPM PRO, the US distributor of Sport-ON, off-road handcycles, providing adaptive mountain bikes and accessories to disabled riders, including options for paraplegics and quadriplegics. Additionally, Jeremy is a pro athlete, YouTuber, blogger, podcaster and consultant that partners with public, private and nonprofit land managers to design safe and fun universal trail systems. Throughout the episode, James and Jeremy discuss his business venture distributing off-road handcycles, his mission of ensuring disabled athletes have full access to the outdoors and how he is pioneering trails for everybody.

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‍Show Notes
Timestamps in this blog are for the audio-only version of the podcast; video timing differs.
(0:52) Introduction to Jeremy McGhee
(5:11) About The UNPavement
(9:02) Jeremy’s Work as a Trail Consultant
(10:57) About JPM PRO
(18:17) Jeremy’s Discovery of Bentonville
(25:13) Jeremy’s Move to Bentonville
(29:08) #BecauseBentonville Story
(35:31) Advice for Overcoming Insurmountable Odds
(41:48) Closing Question
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‍Links‍‍‍‍‍‍
JAMES BELL
BENTONVILLE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT‍
JEREMY MCGHEE
JEREMYMCGHEE.COM
JPM PRO
THE UNPAVEMENT
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Quotes
“The UNPavement is a movement of all of us off the pavement and into the wild because we’ve got these cool devices that we’re on all the time, and they allow us to accomplish so much in life, but we’re on them so much that it renders us that much more in need of a relationship with nature.” – Jeremy McGhee, (5:13)

“The major emotional thing I miss in life when I’m back in San Diego, is I watch my friends grab their board, run across the tracks and go catch a couple waves at sunset. That’s not in the cards for me anymore…But being [in Bentonville] and being able to just jump on my bike right out of my garage, literally across the street to Coler [Mountain Bike Preserve]. I get to fulfill that desire in a different way. I get to jump on my bike and jump on a trail.” – Jeremy McGhee, (26:46)
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“The adaptive element to whatever I want to do is my mind. That is my greatest disability, and I have a feeling that a lot of people out there can relate to that. So whatever obstacles are in front of you, that’s going to be the hardest thing to overcome. So my advice is to do the things that help that. Taking care of ourselves is really important” – Jeremy McGhee, (35:44)‍

Making the Wild More Accessible to All with Jeremy McGhee
On this episode of The Bentonville Beacon, host James Bell is joined by Jeremy McGhee, Founder of The UNPavement, a movement that’s helping everyone get off the pavement and into the wild to heal our hurting culture of Nature Deficit Disorder. Jeremy is also Founder of JPM PRO, the US distributor of Sport-ON, off-road handcycles, providing adaptive mountain bikes and accessories to disabled riders, including options for paraplegics and quadriplegics. Additionally, Jeremy is a pro athlete, YouTuber, blogger, podcaster and consultant that partners with public, private and nonprofit land managers to design safe and fun universal trail systems. Throughout the episode, James and Jeremy discuss his business venture distributing off-road handcycles, his mission of ensuring disabled athletes have full access to the outdoors and how he is pioneering trails for everybody.

Expanding Outdoor Opportunities
After a motorcycle accident left him paralyzed, Jeremy came to realize his greatest obstacles were not physical, but of his own mind. So in an incredible feat, Jeremy became the first paraplegic to climb and descend Bloody Couloir, a major backcountry ski route in the Eastern Sierras, with only the use of his arms.
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“The adaptive element to whatever I want to do is my mind. That is my greatest disability, and I have a feeling that a lot of people out there can relate to that. So whatever obstacles are in front of you, that’s going to be the hardest thing to overcome. So my advice is to do the things that help that. Taking care of ourselves is really important” – Jeremy McGhee, (35:44)

As a result, Jeremy made it his mission to inspire others to take the reins and live the adventure themselves. Up until now, no information was available to indicate whether a certain trail would be accessible for disabled riders. However, The UNPavement is filling that gap by documenting, planning, renovating and rating trails so disabled mountain bikers can safely enjoy nature using their off-road handcycles.

Increasing Adaptive Biking Awareness
Jeremy has partnered with TrailForks, a user-based trail information resource app, to eliminate potential dilemmas and employ proper signage. This signage will use the universal UNPavement symbol for adaptive mountain bikes to indicate trail rating and ride-arounds. Furthermore, The UNPavement trains ambassadors to document trails in their respective areas and increases awareness in the community by speaking to trail organizations, attending mountain bike events and presenting at schools.

“The UNPavement is a movement of all of us off the pavement and into the wild because we’ve got these cool devices that we’re on all the time, and they allow us to accomplish so much in life, but we’re on them so much that it renders us that much more in need of a relationship with nature.” – Jeremy McGhee, (5:13)

Another way Jeremy is increasing access to the outdoors for disabled riders is with his company JPM PRO, the US distributor of Sport-ON, off-road handcycles. Along with a wide variety of bike options, JPM PRO also provides biking accessories like lights, grips, battering, handlebars and even a mobility scooter and power wheelchair lift adapted to fit certain Sport-On handcycles.
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Get Connected!
‍Thank you for tuning into this episode of The Bentonville Beacon! Join us weekly for more stories and advice from the entrepreneurs, business executives and community leaders who are sparking the rise of Bentonville. If you are interested in discussing whether your business should have a presence in Bentonville or would like to discuss this podcast, please contact James Bell. You may reach James at jbell@greaterbentonville.com or (479) 273-2841.