Chad Waligura

Texas

Disabled Sportsmen

Writer

I grew up hunting along the Texas gulf coast where we lived.  When my dad took me
teal hunting when I was about 12, I was hooked.  From then on, I knew it’d be
something I'd do for the rest of my life.

In 1986, I was paralyzed in a diving accident, and the thought of hunting again was
the one thing that kept me going during my time in the rehab. 

It was the one thingI knew I wouldn't give up.  Three months later, I was back in the woods with my dad
learning how to deer hunt again. Eighteen years later, Streamlight & Buckmasters’
American Deer Foundation voted me Challenged Hunter of the Year for 2004.

In between those two milestone years, I’ve been afield after small & big game of all
kinds and all across the United States as well as in three different countries. In
1996, I started a site called Follow Me Outdoors to write about my adventures and
promote disabled outdoors & recreation.

From there, I began free lancing for hunting magazines whenever I could because that
was what I was most interested in at the time.  To date, I've been published in Rack
Magazine, King's Hunting Illustrated, Eastman's Hunting Journal, Horizontal
Bowhunter Magazine, United Federation For Disabled Archer's Magazine, and Turkey &
Turkey Hunting magazine.

Lately I’ve been more involved in hunting than ever before.  I even have my
first African safari scheduled the for summer of 2009.