This week I have been reading the memoir of an extraordinary man. I had followed Eamon Wood on his blog – Wayward Wheeler – back in 2017 as he hitchhiked around New Zealand, UK, Europe and America. Eamon Wood has just released A Backpack, A Chair and A Beard and it is an inspiring read.

About the book

A paraplegic since the age of four, Eamon found ways to give his wheelchair wings. He became the number one seed in the Kiwi men’s wheelchair tennis rankings, and represented his country on the men’s wheelchair basketball team, travelling the world. But that was in a safe, predictable team setting. He wanted more.

At twenty-eight, he set off on an epic journey, with little more than his backpack, his guitar, and an open mind. He hitchhiked around New Zealand’s southern island. The travelling bug took him to the UK and the USA…