Damian Gower is 27 years old and developed spastic quadriplegia after a reaction to a vaccine at 9 months old. His physical disability results in him being unable to walk, using a wheelchair, and he is very limited in his physical abilities, however he has a heightened spirit of adventure and enthusiasm to experience as much as possible. 

At two years old, Damian’s first pony was waiting under the tree on Christmas morning and he rode in his first show soon after. From this young age he was cycling in a baby seat on a bike and went on his first backpack hike through a wildlife reserve, and the adventures continued. Over the years Damian’s love for travel and adventure have taken him husky sledding and meeting Santa in Finnish Lapland, visiting a cliff top fort on the islands off Ireland, camping in the Redwood forests in California, volunteering in wildlife conservation in Zululand, and exploring desert landscapes in Namibia. His passion for music had him enrolled at Rise Academy and he qualified as a DJ in 2023, going under the name DJ Whizzkat.

We had a dream of creating an adventure centre for children with disabilities. In 2010 we moved to Cape Town and a world of adventures and experiences opened up to us – hiking up Table Mountain, river rafting on the Breede river, and a horse riding safari amongst other amazing adventures. Damian got to do his first two half marathons with Graeme Keehn pushing him on the Two Oceans and Gun Run half marathons. In 2012 I signed up to do the Cape Town Cycle Tour – I hadn’t been on a bike in many years. Wonderful friends surprised us on Damian’s 13th birthday with a bike… and buggy! As Damian and I did all our adventures together, the plan was to do this together too. Unfortunately permission was denied and I had to do that first one alone. However in 2013 the rules were changed to allow buggy teams to participate, and Damian and I got to cross the finish line of this iconic event together. From the 2015 tour onwards we were blessed to have Wolf Stinnes towing Damian year after year on this beautiful tour of the Cape Peninsula, and it was this year that Warrior On Wheels Foundation was established, so that we could share these epic adventures with other children with disabilities and their families. Alongside his Warrior on Wheels friends, Damian has participated in 10 Cape Town Cycle Tours and other cycling events, a number of half marathons and other running events and even an Ultra marathon, pushed by volunteer, Brandon, and we’ve enjoyed river rafting, cycling, running, boat trips, animal sanctuary visits, theatre visits, concerts, rollerblading, ziplining and so much more.

We found ourselves among what has become a large extended family of warriors sharing in adventures and life together. We are surrounded by families who understand each other’s challenges and joys, who share in the appreciation of the experiences (great and small) many take for granted, and who celebrate each other’s wins, and grieve each other’s losses. We get to experience first hand the hearts of the volunteers who give their time, muscles and care to give our children these adventures that we as parents can’t always physically do ourselves, and the sponsors and activity providers who generously provide funds and experiences to make the Gift of Adventure possible.