Nebraska man races in Good Life Halfsy after being paralyzed from the waist down

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – A total of 6,650 people registered for the Good Life Halfsy this year, which started at Seacrest Field and ended in the Haymarket.

One athlete, 27-year-old Dylan Wells, said this was unlike any race he’d done before.

“This is a blast,” he said. “This is awesome. Definitely something I think I’m gonna continue to do.”

In 2014, Wells was paralyzed from the waist down in a car accident.

After going to Madonna for rehab, he eventually got back into being an athlete and has competed in several running events riding a hand cycle.

“Before the chair I played football, wrestled, played baseball,” he said. “I just like to be active,” he said.

Wells said he had a lot of support from friends and family.

“For college I had some good friends that – they would help me get up stairs and stuff like that,” he said. “So really, I’ve kind of had it made. Good people in my life.”

In the Lincoln Marathon earlier this year, Wells used his hand cycle, which he said is a lot easier than the normal wheelchair.

But on Sunday, he finished the half marathon with his wheelchair for the first time.

“I’d never done it in my wheelchair before,” he said. “The downhills I kind of feel bad for everyone else I guess cause I’m just not doing anything. it’s really not that bad, I wish more people would do it just cause it’s good exercise.”

Wells said he enjoyed seeing so many people out having a good time and being supportive.

“The racers will run by and like give you a high five, or tell you like ‘oh good job, keep going,'” he said. “That was awesome. Just the people that run it, that’s what makes the race fun.”