【Dear Utol (2025): Chick! Episode 47】

Aaron ‘Wheelz’ Fotheringham just opened the Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro in badass style -- with a death-defying,Dear Utol (2025): Chick! Episode 47 fireworks-accompanied stunt.

The 24-year-old from Las Vegas, adapts his moves from a hybrid of skateboarding and BMX racing, kicked off the 2016 Games with a surprise demonstration of his WCMX wheelchair skills. He pulled the stunt after the president of the International Paralympic Committee, Sir Phillip Craven, gave the official countdown to kick of the Games.

SEE ALSO: Athletes with Down syndrome fight for inclusion at the Paralympics

Appearing in a bright green chair at the top of a six-story high construction, Fotheringham went flying down the giant ramp, with fireworks going off on either side of him, only to launch into a somersault through a large ring. It. Was. Epic.

---

You May Also Like

---

---

Go Wheelz. Credit: Getty Images

The stadium filled with cheers as the three-hour procession of paralympians, dancing and up-tempo music kicked off.

Mashable Top Stories Stay connected with the hottest stories of the day and the latest entertainment news. Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Thanks for signing up!

In an a interview with People Magazineearlier this year, the star of Nitro Circus, a touring extreme sports collective, explained his motivation.

"A lot of people view the wheelchair as being negative, or kind of like a prison, like you always hear people say, ‘confined to a wheelchair,'" Fotheringham, who has Spina Bifida, said. "And for me, I never felt confined to the wheelchair – it always was a great opportunity so if I could say anything to anyone living on a wheelchair, it's all about having a positive attitude and just kind of looking for the bright side of things."

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

He added, "wheelchairs provide just as many opportunities as someone with working legs, it's just you got to get out there and kind of chase it."

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

No doubt many more young people will be inspired at take up the art of "hardcore sitting," as Fotheringham jokingly calls it, after seeing this act of showmanship.

Now that the 11-day games have officially begun, they'll be plenty more where that came from.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

• Social Good
• Games
• Digital Culture
• Life
• Tech
• Entertainment
• Shopping
• Deals

• What cracked the Milky Way's giant cosmic bone? Scientists think they know.
• 'Stranger Things' David Harbour could possibly officiate fan's wedding
• Crowd imitates Belarusian tennis player Aryna Sabalenka's loud grunts
• Google to construct new undersea cables to connect U.S., Asia, Europe
• The State of 5G: When It's Coming, How Fast It Will Be & The Sci
• TV channel Spike is soon to be no longer, so its Twitter went wild
• DC Comics, '12 Years a Slave' writer put spotlight on disenfranchised heroes
• Mark Zuckerberg just put his money where his mouth is — to the tune of $3 billion
• Amazon Spring Sale 2025: Best LG OLED TV deal
• Saudi Arabia lifts 35

• Starbucks has a spicy new fall drink to challenge the beloved PSL
• Predictably, Tim Cook had some strong thoughts on EU's tax ruling
• Irish government HQ bombarded with apples protesting Apple tax break
• Twitter now lets select users make money off of videos
• The futuristic Lenovo Yoga Book can digitize your paper notes
• Japan loves this purple potato ice cream
• The OLED Burn
• Mexican president says he told Trump that Mexico won't pay for the wall
• Hey Apple and Samsung, Xiaomi just launched tap
• SpaceX rocket explodes on pad ahead of test

• How to Squeeze the Most Out of Your iPhone's Battery
• Listen to the world's first cryptocurrency
• Terrifying photos show plane after it skids off runway towards the sea
• Incredible footage shows firefighter catching child thrown from balcony
• Waymo data shows humans are terrible drivers compared to AI
• Leak claims Samsung Galaxy S9 might launch on February 26
• 'Portlandia' co
• Liam Neeson's 'witch hunt' comments miss the point of the #MeToo movement
• U.N. aims to make carbon emissions cost money at COP 25 climate talks
• Leonardo DiCaprio to star in new Quentin Tarantino movie about Charles Manson

• Herediano vs. Real Salt Lake 2025 livestream: Watch Concacaf Champions Cup for free
• Listen to the world's first cryptocurrency
• Incredible footage shows firefighter catching child thrown from balcony
• Oh yus, 'Flight of the Conchords' is returning to TV
• Shop Owala's Memorial Day Sale for 30% off tumblers
• Writer Robert Kirkman addresses the major twist on 'The Walking Dead'
• Free advice: Turn your phone's damn battery percentage off
• Elisabeth Moss says 'Handmaid's Tale' Season 2 will be 'darker'
• Sony launches new flagship XM6 headphones: Order them now
• What is Babe? Meet the site that published the Aziz Ansari allegation