The "perfect cushion for wheelchair tennis."
Ali Ataman is a 30-year old software engineer and professional tennis player living in Seattle, Washington. The T-6 para first learned about VARILITE from a competitor, and has been playing on a Zoid PSV cushion since early 2010.
Ali says switching to a Zoid PSV cushion has "improved [his game] a lot. I feel very safe and stable compared to the other cushions I have used before. Because the cushion takes the shape of my body, I do not lose control when I hit the ball."
Ali has used the Zoid PSV in several west coast tournaments and will be playing in the Pacific Northwest Championships later this month. In October he plans to take his game internationally to the Izmir Open in Turkey.
Ataman has already recomended VARILITE cushions to other players and says the Zoid PSV is the "perfect cushion for wheelchair tennis."
When he's not behind the computer screen or tennis racquet, Ali enjoys playing guitar and watching soccer. Click here to visit his website.
Jon has improved his game!
My Zoid PSV™ improved my game!
My name is Jon McKanna and I am from Monroe, WA. I am 27 years old and have to use a wheelchair because I was born with
Spina Bifida. I work as a support tech for a cable company, but in my spare time I participate in wheelchair sports like skiing.
My favorite sport is wheelchair basketball and I play for a team named the Rolling Tritans from Edmonds,
WA. I was using a pillow for a cushion on my sports wheelchair until I heard about VARILITE
through a basketball team member. I now use the Zoid PSV™ cushion for my basketball wheelchair, and the first thing I noticed was
how comfortable it was.
Once I started playing basketball I felt how the cushion helped improve my overall balance, which is very important when I am playing
wheelchair basketball. The Zoid PSV cushion will definitely improve my game!
~Jon McKanna is a wheelchair basketball player, and lover of many adaptive sports.
Bryan with his accessible Chopper.
Great pressure distribution with my Zoid PSV™.
I am 31 years old and 8 years ago I had an accident that left me with a spinal cord injury at the thoracic 3rd and 4th vertebrae.
I am now paralyzed from my mid-chest down. Despite having a spinal cord injury, I am very busy! In fact I went back to work
10 months after my accident, and work full time. In my spare time I coach high school baseball, travel, go camping in
the desert, draw, and volunteer my time to help newly injured people with spinal cord injuries.
My family and friends mean the world to me and I am very lucky to have them in my life.
Since I have been using a wheelchair I created a great relationship with a company called Lasher Sport and through their
wheelchair company I heard about VARILITE. I have been using the VARILITE
Zoid PSV™ cushion for a few years now. Since I often get really busy during the day I sometimes forget
to do my pressure lifts, but luckily with the Zoid PSV cushion I get great pressure distribution. Although I still need to work on
remembering to do my pressure lifts, the Zoid PSV cushion gives me the protection I need to avoid skin breakdown. I have also noticed that I can
sit in my wheelchair for longer periods of time without having to lie down during the day. I really think the Zoid PSV cushion
helps my stamina as well.
I live where the weather ranges from 40 degrees in the winter to 120 degrees in the summer, so I knew I needed to have a cushion that could
handle that type of climate, while still being comfortable and reliable. Since my friend Bill Lasher, CEO of Lasher Sport
wheelchairs, has been using a wheelchair a lot longer than I have, it is important for me to thank him for telling me about VARILITE.
I highly recommend the Zoid PSV cushion to other people in wheelchairs who are looking for a cushion you can count on and a product they can trust.
I wouldn’t change my cushion for the world.
~Bryan King's motorcycle was built by American Choppers and he is now a mentor to newly injured patients with SCI.
Gerard at wheelchair basketball practice.
Aiming higher than ever
with better comfort!
For the past nine years I have had to adjust to life as a person with RAKA (Right Above Knee Amputation). As life changed so
did the way I participated in sports, now I have to use adaptive equipment. I had never tried any of the VARILITE products
until a fellow teammate, who is also a wheelchair basketball and handcycling enthusiast, introduced me to the products. I currently am using the
VARILITE Zoid PSV™ cushion on my basketball wheelchair.
Since I am a high amputee with abnormal imbalances I have all the lower back pains and tight muscles associated with this level
of amputation. I have been pleasantly surprised by the Zoid PSV cushion air-foam floatation to give me a certain stability that I didn’t
realize I was missing. The Zoid PSV has helped me engage my core as a low-level injury user, and provides adjustable comfort with the
pressure setting valve. Sitting correctly and evenly with my hips has helped alleviate my lower back pain.
Normally I play basketball a few hours a day and only a couple of times a week, but the first time I tried the Zoid I really
put it to the extreme test with long hours during a wheelchair basketball tournament. Overall, since I
have been using my Zoid PSV cushion, I have noticed less fatigue in the movements I perform in my basketball wheelchair, as well as increased
comfort.
I am glad that my teammate suggested I try out the Zoid PSV because I don’t believe he knew that I was dealing with a lot of
posture imbalances and could benefit from in this type of cushion. I have enjoyed my posture correction through hip alignment and
the decreased fatigue using the PSV system, which has led to sustaining higher outputs of exertion. I would definitely recommend
the VARILITE Zoid PSV™ seating system to anyone in a similar situation, looking for similar
benefits.
~Gerard Ah-Fook is a wheelchair basketball player and handcyclist.
Ashlee is crowned Ms. Wheelchair Utah.
The Zoid PSV™ has improved my posture!
I am 26 years old, and have had Cerebral Palsy since birth. I am also a second grade teacher with a passion for music,
particularly country. Throughout my life I have had a very positive attitude, and love to educate people about many things.
Besides teaching, I also volunteer for various community organizations. I love to sing, attend concerts, and have made it a hobby to meet as many
country singers as possible. I really enjoy amusement parks, and Disneyland is my favorite place in the entire world.
This has been a really exciting year because I was crowned Ms. Wheelchair Utah
and I want to teach all people in Utah that “True Beauty Is All in the Attitude,” whether it is in or out of the classroom.
Due to my Cerebral Palsy, I need to be able to keep up with my second graders and busy schedule as Ms. Wheelchair Utah.
So I need equipment that will make my life easy. I currently use a manual wheelchair, with battery powered wheels, to help assist
me with pushing my wheelchair. I am glad that I heard about VARILITE through my local vendor
because the Zoid PSV™ cushion is great! I have been using the Zoid PSV cushion for about 3 years now, and it has improved
my posture. I definitely recommend VARILITE products to other people in wheelchairs.
~Ashlee Allington is Ms. Wheelchair Utah, and a country music lover.
Jeff is serious when it comes to the competition!
Together the Zoid PSV™ and the eBack™ works with my lifestyle!
I was injured 18 years ago in a motorcycle accident and now have a spinal cord injury from
the mid-chest down. I stay very active - whether it is handcycling 50 miles on the Burke Gilman Trail in
Seattle or doing a safety assembly for a program called Think First - I am always on the go!
Because I have been injured for almost half of my life, I have learned a lot over the years regarding wheelchairs
and how to fix and maintain all of the different equipment I own for the activities I participate in. I have tried out
so many different kinds of backrests and cushions, but to keep active I need low maintenance, and easy to use equipment.
The most important thing to me is comfort and I depend on good products that will help with my positioning and seating.
About three years ago I checked out one of my teammates new cushion and loved it so I purchased one for myself.
I now use the VARILITE Zoid PSV™ for basketball and my everyday wheelchair. I love the cushion!
It works with my lifestyle, which is basically “Ride for Life.” Out of all the activities I have been involved in, handcycling
and basketball are the sports I am most active in. The Zoid PSV cushion is great for basketball because of the lightweight and
durabe of the cushion. The way it self-inflates is pretty cool too.
I am also now using the new VARILITE eBack™ support on my wheelchair. I really like it
because when it is hot outside the eBack is very breathable and I don’t sweat as much, which for me is amazing! The eBack
is easy to put on and take off of my wheelchair, and I can do it one handed. It looks good on my wheelchair too. The
versatility of the hardware for the eBack and the mounting points make it more durable on the wheelchair frame and it won’t
move around. I am finally comfortable in my wheelchair for longer periods of time. Overall, I am now more stable and I don’t
have to carry around a pump with me for a cushion. Both the Zoid PSV and the eBack give me the kind of support I need and
I have noticed less spasticity. VARILITE and I will be riding and playing hard for
a long time!
~Jeff Compatore is a Legal Assistant, Public Speaker and dedicated wheelchair sports athlete.
Greg has the catch of the day.
The Zoid PSV™ is a cushion I can always depend on.
I was injured in a car accident in 1980 and instead of the traditional spinal cord injury, I had an aortic aneurysm.
The end result was that after diminished blood flow to the spinal cord during surgery to repair the damage I was
partially paralyzed. I have almost complete sensation, but no muscle movement. Over the last 28 years my muscles have
atrophied below my waist, and I can feel all the rubbing on my bony areas, which can be rather painful.
Despite everything I have remained a pretty active person for the last 28 years. Five years ago I first heard of
VARILITE when I started working for a company called Sportaid.com, which sells everything from
wheelchairs, handcycles, exercise equipment, cushions, and medical supplies through the internet
and our catalog. In 1997, when I went back to college, I discovered that sitting through long classes without much opportunity to
move around was at times very uncomfortable. In my search to find a more comfortable and dependable cushion, I
purchased a Zoid PSV™ cushion and have had a great experience with the cushion ever since. Now I am someone that typically sits in my
wheelchair for at least 16 hours a day and the Zoid PSV is the only cushion that I found I can sit on for long periods of time.
I initially tried to use an air cushion, but became very frustrated because the air cushions did not last very long and I grew
weary of frequently having to install patches. Also, since I am a larger person, my cushions take a beating when I do transfers in and out of
my F-150 pickup truck. I tend to plop down onto the cushion, and the air cushions have failed repeatedly after a few weeks or months of my abuse.
The Zoid PSV is the only cushion I have found that is tough enough to withstand the impact of my size and weight on a regular basis.
The biggest thing I noticed about the Zoid PSV was the incredible comfort, and I enjoy being able to easily adjust the pressure during a long day.
I definitely recommend VARILITE products because I value the comfort, ease of use, and the tough and
dependable construction. I like the safety of knowing that if something does happen to the cushion I will not bottom out because
it is still foam, and nothing beats not having to carry around a pump to adjust the cushion.
~Greg Morris is an outdoor enthusiast and employee at Sportaid.com.
Drew gets his game face on.
With the Zoid PSV™ - there's never a need to pump. That rocks!!
I am 24 years old and I was born with Cerebral Palsy, so I have used a wheelchair for mobility for most of my life.
I am currently attending Edmonds Community College and I am thinking about pursuing a degree in Psychology or
Recreational Therapy. I haven’t decided yet, but I am torn between studying Psychology because I have a passion for helping people,
especially people with disabilities. I am also considering Recreational Therapy because of my love for adaptive sports, such as
wheelchair basketball, which I have been playing for 8 years. I am lucky because there are not many colleges that recognize
adaptive sports as a sport, but the community college sponsors my wheelchair basketball team.
Since I have used a wheelchair for a long time, I have tried out many different wheelchairs and wheelchair cushions.
I know my body very well and can tell when my body is uncomfortable because I will have increased spasticity and stiffness. That is
why I am very happy that I learned about VARILITE. I have been using the Zoid PSV™ cushion for quite a while now
and it is better than all the other cushions out there. I currently use the Zoid PSV cushion for both my sports wheelchair and everyday wheelchair.
I would highly recommend this cushion for anyone that wants an easy, light-weight cushion. I also really like the PSV (Pressure Setting Valve)
because there is no pump involved and that rocks!
~Drew English is a Wheelchair basketball player and student at Edmonds Community College.
David acts as a coach for wheelchair basketball.
The Zoid PSV™ has helped decrease my leg spasms.
I have been a T3/4 paraplegic for 17 years after I was injured in a sledding accident in Alaska, but since then I
have always maintained a pretty active lifestyle. Between my job as a Unit Clerk for the
Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) and my love of wheelchair sports, I am always on the go.
As a coach and a player for a wheelchair basketball team, I needed a cushion that I could use for all the
different sport wheelchairs I own. I heard about VARILITE through another teammate on my
basketball team. I noticed his cushion looked lightweight and thought that would definitely work for me and my active
lifestyle. I now use the VARILITE Zoid PSV™ cushion and it has provided me with good stability, and because the cushion absorbs vibrations, I have had decreased leg spasms. Since I have no sensation below my injury I can tell that
when I have no leg spasms that my body is comfortable. If my legs start to spasm I know that I am uncomfortable in the
way I am sitting or what I am sitting on. This is the first time I have used any of the VARILITE
products and I would definitely recommend the products to other wheelchair users. In fact, many of my other teammates now use
this same cushion, and have had very positive results. I look forward to many more days of sitting comfortably. Thank you!
~David Stump is a coach and player for a wheelchair basketball team.
Freedom in My Daily Activites
May 18, 2006; My name is Brad J. I am a T-5,6 paraplegic of 16 1/2 years. I am 46 yrs old and have a 17 yr old daughter. I am
very active in sports and work/volunteer as a full time job. I have gone through many wheelchairs (everyday and sports) using
just about every kind of cushion on those chairs available.
In my search for a cushion that best suits my needs I have found the VARILITE Zoid PSV™ to have
the combination of qualities that does that best. I require a cushion that is lightweight, withstands long periods of use without
compressing, and provides stability for proper posture in the workplace. The results are less pain and discomfort than foam cushions,
less displacement and heat build up than gel cushions, and due to the proper combination of foam with air-only support I do not
have as much movement in my seat as other air filled cushions. These specific qualities allow me freedom in my daily activities
including longer chair time, greater maneuverability, and better balance.
I highly recommend this cushion to the above average active paraplegic looking for an edge in the workplace, playing sports or
just hanging out with friends. Thanks VARILITE!