Living his best life on three wheels
There’s no shortage of inspirational stories of how Trikke carving vehicles have transformed the lives of some very inspired and inspiring people. After all, one need look no further than the Trikke Tales of the rider who went from super disabled to Supergirl, thanks to her Trikke, or the rider who went from tragedy to triumph on a Trikke, to bear witness to the endurance of the human spirit, as expressed through one’s love and appreciation of the Trikke.
Alexandre de Carvalho Lage is one such person we’re happy to introduce to you. Not only is his life story phenomenal, so, too, is his unique perspective on the Trikke, both as an exercise machine and a modern-day tool for urban transportation and mobility. In this two-part, special feature, we’ll get to know the man, his back story and his views of the curious topic of Trikke vs. the Scooter Craze, i.e., Lime, Bird and the plethora of electric scooters invading cities worldwide.
“The Trikke … works more muscles in a healthier way than any other exercise.”
A native of Brazil, Alex had an active childhood. As a teen, he used to surf world-famous Ipanema Beach in Rio de Janeiro. Then at age 23, he had an uncommon accident while driving a 9-ton tractor during a vacation on a farm. Due to brake failure, the tractor ran over him, breaking his pelvis into four pieces and affecting his urethra and bladder.
Suddenly, his life dream became “taking a shower while standing on my own two feet.”
Barely able to move, Alex’s recovery process was long and stressful. He endured twenty-two surgeries, months-at-a-time in hospitals, and countless doctor appointments, medicines and physical therapy hours. Amazingly, after four years, he was able to resume a normal life.
It’s no wonder a person with that kind of spirit and determination was drawn to the Trikke, which Alex first saw at age 49:
“I was living in Curitiba (the birth city of Trikke inventor Gildo Beleski), working as a consultant, when I saw the Trikke in a shopping mall demonstration. It was love at first sight! I had to find out what it was all about it, and in two days, I was riding my first new toy.”
Since then, Alex says the Trikke has become part of his ecosystem.
“I felt how important it was, not only for my recovery but also to push my own limits. I rediscovered the radical surfer in me. Then I developed my own riding style. It felt like surfing the waves.”
Some fourteen years later, Alex still has what he calls a great passion for Trikke:
“For me, riding a Trikke is more than just getting exercise or using a fitness machine. Riding is part of my health regimen, just like eating, drinking, sleeping, or even stretching. It’s been part of my daily routine every week, at least three times a week.”
The biggest benefit, he says, is the fact that a full-body workout on a three-wheel Trikke is a powerful form of exercise:
“The Trikke carving motion gives you a better stretch over skating and is more intense than surfing. It works more muscles in a healthier way than any other exercise. I can easily burn 1,000 calories in one hour-long ride.”
Because Alex monitors his rides with his Apple Watch, his doctors and fitness trainers are able to observe the data generated by each ride. The result: they’re amazed by his results.
All of this may make Alex seem like a salesman for Trikke carving vehicles, but the resident of Rio de Janeiro has no official job with Trikke, Inc.
“I’d say I’m an informal ‘take it to the limit pilot.’ I have an aggressive riding style and I’m always testing different models to the limit.”
Additionally, Alex has decades of experience as a consultant and developer for new business models and that’s where his unique perspective comes into play when it comes to Trikkes vs Scooters, a topic we’ll explore with this inspirational individual in part two of this special feature.