“When adversity hits you in the face, or when challenges hit you, it’s up to you to overcome them.” – Gabriel, uberSELECT partner in Austin

Throughout his life, Gabriel has pushed boundaries and transformed seeming impossibilities into possibilities.

Almost ten years ago, Gabriel was hanging Christmas lights on a two-story roof when he lost his balance on the ladder, fell backwards and sustained a serious injury. Since that time, Gabriel has modified his life to remain mobile, but relies on a manual wheelchair to get around.

A self-proclaimed “jack-of-all-trades,” Gabriel continues to ensure that his mobility challenges do not prevent him from doing the things he loves. Gabriel is an active member of a wheelchair rugby league, where in his words, players get into special chairs that are “literally made to be run into without breaking.” Gabriel’s fellow rugby players do not hold back, and neither does he.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFPSmrrAMLE&feature=youtu.be

Gabriel has also found a way to continue his joy for driving. Challenged by getting into the driver’s seat after his injury, Gabriel found a vehicle modification company that could customize his full-size SUV. He figured, “Why not go for the biggest vehicle possible to modify?” Now, Gabriel drives a modified Cadillac Escalade with an electric accessibility option, putting him in the driver’s seat and storing his wheelchair.

In addition to driving himself around, Gabriel has made his vehicle accessible to others in the Austin community by becoming an Uber driver partner. Since partnering with Uber in October of last year, Gabriel has provided nearly 1,000 rides on the Uber platform. Gabriel works a full-time job as a bookkeeper for a national student housing company, so he enjoys the flexibility of driving with Uber. Beyond using Uber as a flexible way to supplement income, Gabriel enjoys giving people a safe ride home and making a meaningful contribution to his community.

For Gabriel, driving on the Uber platforms gives him freedom and independence.

Learn more about other partners like Gabriel who use modified vehicles.