Life to the Max Podcast
Welcome to 'Life to the Max Podcast,' where resilience meets inspiration!
Join us on a transformative journey through the life stories of remarkable individuals, including Quadriplegic Army Veteran Maximilian Gross. In this empowering podcast, we dive into tales of triumph, courage, and the human spirit's unwavering ability to overcome obstacles.
Our show is a celebration of diverse narratives, from awe-inspiring achievements to the darkest of traumas. 'Life to the Max' is a testament to the power of living authentically, no matter the circumstances. We believe that everyone has a unique story worth sharing, and we invite individuals from all walks of life to join us.
Discover the profound meaning of living 'Life to the Max'—a concept that resonates differently with each storyteller. It's a journey of perspective, resilience, and finding joy amidst life's challenges. Tune in to be inspired, motivated, and reminded that there's strength in every story.
Ready to redefine what it means to live life to the fullest? Share your story with us and become a part of this uplifting community. Because, at 'Life to the Max,' every story matters.
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Life to the Max Podcast
Back to the Outdoors: How Action Trackchairs Restore Independence
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
We sit down with our friend Chad, a dealer for Action Trackchair across Wisconsin and Illinois, to unpack how an all-terrain power chair with tracks—not wheels—turns sand, snow, grass, and trails into everyday options. If you’ve ever wondered how adaptive tech can change not just mobility but mood, this conversation is your field guide.
Chad talks us through the essentials: how track geometry spreads weight for flotation, why torque and traction matter on loose ground, and what it takes to safely handle curbs and uneven paths. We dig into custom control setups, including chin-drive systems that convert small, precise inputs into confident steering. The practical details shine, from transfer challenges to quick plywood fixes that make lifts and bases play nice. And beyond the hardware, we talk about the heartbeat of access—family, friends, and a community that refuses to let you stall when the terrain gets rough.
Chad shares life after a 2010 car accident, the role of support in pushing past hard days, and the new joys of chasing a four-year-old across parks and yards thanks to the Action Trackchair. We trade stories about resilience, adaptive hacks, and the simple thrill of a beach day or a snowy path when the right gear is under you. If you’re weighing your options or helping someone navigate their next steps, you’ll come away with ideas to test and questions to ask.
Curious about taking your own off-road? Search Action Trackchair, set up a demo, and see what opens up when you trade wheels for tracks. If this conversation helps, tap follow, share it with someone who needs the nudge, and leave a quick review so others can find it too.
Live From Abilities Expo
SPEAKER_01What's up guys? As you can see, we're not in the studio at home. We're actually at the Abillies Expo in Chicago. And this podcast is gonna be a little different. It's gonna be like a speed cast. The sound is not gonna be as great because of how wide open this space is. But I hope you guys enjoy it. Please enjoy this Life to the Max speed.
SPEAKER_00Just a couple of ones are trying to get back. Just a couple of teas are trying to survive. Live to the max. Don't live it twice.
Meet Chad And His Mission
SPEAKER_01What is up everybody? It is Life to the Max podcast. We are live at the Ability's Expo in Shopbourg, Illinois. It is June 22nd, 2025, and today I am here with my good friend Chad. I've known him for a long time. He was at the expo, and I was like, no way. I was like, you gotta come out to the podcast. And uh here you are, Chad. Take a look.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, absolutely. It was great to see you, and I'm happy to happy to come on and chit-chat with you, catch up a little bit.
What A Track Chair Does
SPEAKER_01So, Chad, uh, what do you do? And uh um, what brings you out to the L East Expo?
SPEAKER_02I'm the action track chair dealer here in Wisconsin and Illinois. So we have a booth every year, and you know, we kind of just like to get out and spread the word about the product and you know, get people in some track chairs.
SPEAKER_01So, can you explain a track chair for the people that are listening?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, the action track chair is kind of the ultimate and all-terrain wheelchairs. So instead of having your traditional wheel, it has a track system, and that allows you to traverse all different types of terrain, whether it be grass or sand or snow, um, through the woods, up and down curbs, all kinds of stuff.
SPEAKER_01So it's like a kind of like tank. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, very similar to like a skid loader track system.
SPEAKER_01Yep. And uh have you guys had that good success with it?
Life After Injury And Support
SPEAKER_02Yeah, yeah. Um yeah, over the year we started in 2009 and it's grown uh, I mean, tremendously since then. You know, people that have mobility issues wanna they want to get out, they want to get outside and do the things that they love to do. And you know, with our chair, it kind of enables you to do a lot of that stuff. Do you use the chair a lot? Every day, every day, every day, every day. I was a big so before my accident in 2010, I was uh I love to be outside. I love to hunt and fish and just be outside in general. And the chair was something that allowed me to continue to live an active outdoor lifestyle. Uh now I've got a four and a half year old at home, and he loves to be outside. So most of my time on the track chair is chasing him around.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, square what happened.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I was in a car accident.
SPEAKER_01You were this was in 2010 or so.
SPEAKER_02Yep.
SPEAKER_01Were you uh did you go through a phase of like despair?
SPEAKER_02Um you have your moments, right? Um yeah, but I've always had a great support system around me. I've got a great family, some of the best friends in the world. And even had I wanted to get pretty down on myself, I don't think they would have let me.
SPEAKER_01So that's all I feel. I have a great support system, whether it's like foundations or my family or my friends, and uh it's it's been a ride. Like it's a it's always a roller coaster, especially in the disabled community. And I've like met and heard from the most amazing people the past three days.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I agree. It's it's some of the greatest, coolest people I've ever met have been in the disabled community, you know, and and just a lot of people that are up against all odds, and they come through and they find a way and they keep going.
Chin Controls And Adaptation
SPEAKER_01Right? Warriors, that's what I was calling. I would call them warriors. Absolutely. So I remember we were I remember when you came to my house and we got me in the chair, and you like really helped out my sister because we were like, dude, we can't get into the chair because of the wire lift, it doesn't fit under it. Right. And then um you're like, well, why don't you just get some pie wood? Like, you said that on Friday. And my sister was like, duh. Could have done that, right? Could have been in the chair. It's uh it's a great chair, man. Uh and I uh wish I had the chance to use it more often. Uh now that we uh have that pie wood idea, amazing choice. Like now my sister like has a farm and stuff, so like I can just go around.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, that'll be that'll be super cool.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, uh it's it was uh great like meeting you back then, and it was so cool to see you uh like in the flash I have like uh eight years. I think it was like eight years ago, probably pretty close. Yeah, and we we we just like picked up like it was nothing like you just you're like hey dude. It's like how you been?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, yeah, yes. Well, I'll tell you right now, you you were one of the the very first chin controls that that I'd done. I think I did one other before you, but you blew my mind, man. You picked that up like now it was it was neat to see and yeah.
SPEAKER_01It's uh it's it's cool to control it with the chin, uh with the chin control, man. And uh I I really uh implore you for uh you know helping me out with that and like trying to like you know engineer something to where I'll be able to control the chair as well.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. So uh well it was my pleasure.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, so what would you say you're most grateful for?
SPEAKER_02I'd it gotta be friends and family, I think.
SPEAKER_01Friends and family.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, if you if you've got a great support system, there's not too many things you can't do.
SPEAKER_01Blame up like if you uh if you're willing to uh you could come to my house and we can schedule a full podcast on this speak out. So I would love to get to know your story. I'm pretty sure you can help people out there. That would uh be amazing for me.
SPEAKER_02That would be I'd I'd love to. Anytime.
SPEAKER_01I I I can meet uh your new dog, your new puppy.
SPEAKER_02I don't know if you want me to bring him. He's a little energetic still. Give me a year before he settles down.
SPEAKER_01Well, yeah, yeah, yeah, 100%. You can bring your son.
SPEAKER_02Absolutely.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I'd I'd love to meet him. And uh anyways, thank you so much for uh coming on. And uh is there anything else you'd like to say to the people out there?
Track Chair Info And Closing
SPEAKER_02No, man, thanks for having me on, and yeah, I'll look forward to hearing from you and we'll uh maybe do a full-length one of these.
SPEAKER_01And yeah, I hope uh everybody who's listening uh looks up action track wheelchair. If you're uh disabled, changes your life. Honestly, you could go, like you said, on the sand, on the beach if you live in Florida, it'll it'll change your life. Look it up uh what's what's the website?
SPEAKER_02www.action track chair.com.
SPEAKER_01Yep. Look it up there. And uh for everybody else. Please like, comment, and subscribe. And as always, take a breath from me. I'll see you next month. Thanks for coming out, man.
SPEAKER_02Yep, thanks for having me.