My Alinker Creates Opportunities
For My Dog And I

By Patty Hoffman,

Before my Alinker arrived, I dreamed about the vacations I’d take with it and how wonderful it would be to walk through airports and museums without being pushed in a wheelchair. My legs work. But I’ve been living with Multiple Sclerosis for fifteen years. Walking and standing makes me tired. I used to walk several miles a day routinely. It’s been more than six years since I’ve walked a single mile in a day without taking a sitting break. I’ve had my Alinker for a year and it’s bringing walking back into my life. My dog, Happy, loves it, too. 

I feel inspired by Alinker users who are running races with their walking bikes. They have motivated me to set this goal: In 2021, I plan to finish a 5 K with my Alinker.

Meanwhile, Happy and I have been enjoying delightful walks around our neighborhood. Because of Covid and sheltering at home, I haven’t used my Alinker in an airport or museum yet. I expect to do both later this year after most people are vaccinated and the pandemic isn’t such a huge concern.

I did drive with my Alinker, husband and dog, from our home in Ann Arbor, Mi., to Niagara Falls, Canada in December 2019. It was a lovely trip that wouldn’t have been nearly as enjoyable without the walking bike. I walked with my Alinker on the sidewalk near the falls, in a butterfly conservatory, a nature preserve and up and down a big hill in the tourist strip with the wax museums and stores. All the walking would have been impossible for me with only a cane. I covered at least three times more territory than I would have been able to cover without the Alinker. Getting to experience more of life does wonders for my mood.

I really enjoy dog walks in my neighborhood and knowing that my beloved doggie is getting enough exercise. Happy enjoys the fact that I can go farther and faster than I can with a cane. As the world opens up for travel later this year, I plan to use my Alinker at airports, museums, and shopping venues. Happy will travel with me to many of these places. He is my emotional support dog and in 2019 went to Paris and Italy with me. Sometimes he rides in my detachable basket in stores.

 Happy in the basket

I am lucky the progression of my Multiple Sclerosis has been slower than it has been for many people I know. Eight years ago I turned a blind eye to the fact that mobility was becoming a concern. At that time I still took four-mile walks routinely and kept pace and conversation with “normal” walkers.  Looking back, I know mobility issues were a problem to some degree for the past ten to twelve years. First I stopped going out swing dancing because I felt too clumsy and fatigued. Then I stopped hiking in the mountains because walking uphill exhausted me. I started shopping only at small stores because the idea of walking through large stores seemed overwhelming. Although I preferred fresh food, I started going to drive through restaurants for fast food when I was hungry because I didn’t have the stamina to go grocery shopping or prepare food. Sometimes I felt too tired to even walk from my car to a restaurant and sit inside. This is the reality for many of us who have Multiple Sclerosis.

Gradually my life became smaller and smaller. As I slowed down and began eating fast food more frequently, my muscles atrophied and I put on weight. I started following a ketogenic diet a year before I got my Alinker and lost some weight. Since having the Alinker I’ve lost even more weight even though I haven’t gone to a gym during Covid and, truth be told, for several months had added to my diet a nightly cocktail or glass of wine to deal with the stress of sheltering in place.

Today I use my Alinker for longer walks and, when it is slippery, to avoid falling. Because of my Alinker, my legs are stronger. I can walk twice as far without the bike as I could a year ago. Sometimes I don’t even need a cane. In addition to the strength I’ve gained in my legs, I’ve also increased my arm strength. I’ve been surprised to find my Alinker provides a pretty good upper body workout as well as a lower body workout. My core is engaged when I am using my walking bike and, especially when I am going up a hill, my arms and shoulders are also engaged.

I’m very grateful for this cool bike. I’ve had many people stop me on the street and ask about it. They don’t look down at me with pity because I am at eye level. People often don’t recognize my Alinker as a mobility device due to its cool design. I’ve even had a few people ask me if it is an environmental bike of some sort. They assume, similar to downtown scooters, my Alinker is a new clean-air vehicle. That’s not it’s intention, but my Alinker is helping out the environment in this way: I’m driving less and walking more. 

Patty Hoffman is a former journalist living in Ann Arbor, Mi.  She is writing and illustrating a series of children’s stories about friendship, empathy, diversity, and longing to fit in. She has recently become obsessed with Color Street nailpolish strips and is selling them as a side hustle. She plans to seek a publisher for her children’s stories this summer. You can subscribe to her newsletter (and visit her website)

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