Our Foundation is committed to creating equal access to wild Florida. During Black History Month, we are celebrating Florida’s Black leaders in outdoor recreation through this series. We think the myriad benefits of an outdoor life need to be experienced by all Americans.
Cordell Jeter, Founder of EcoRovers
Sarasota, Florida
Cordell Jeter isn’t one to quit in the face of adversity. Born in Fairfax County, Virginia, he was awarded a college scholarship and played football until an automobile accident at 20 years old left him paralyzed from the waist down.
By 2010, Cordell had moved to Florida and was a decorated competitive wheelchair racer, winning bronze and gold medals at the Barcelona 1992 Paralympic Games, and an accomplished motivational speaker. After falling in love with the beauty of wild Florida, he began his mission to get more people who looked like himself outside.
“Nature provides free mental and physical benefits most take for granted. Yet people with physical limitations often find it challenging to access this free resource,” explained Cordell. “I built EcoRover to change this model and create community access to the technology.”
EcoRover is a tracked power wheelchair that allows people with physical limitations independent mobility over uneven or rough terrain. Their mission is to create ease of access to trackchair technology at all our commercialized beaches, state parks, and national monuments. Even better: they are ecologically friendly. With the lithium battery option, EcoRover is capable of 15 miles on a single charge.
Cordell’s work not only provides the technology needed for all to get outdoors. His work as a business trailblazer and motivational speaker inspires people of color and those with physical limitations to push their boundaries.
Thanks to our “deer” plate, our Foundation has been able to support Cordell’s mission by awarding a $25,000 grant to the Florida Disabled Outdoors Association to launch the EcoRover Adventure Program.
