Testimonial of NZ customer - 03/21/2019
“I have had my Omeo for three months now. It has profoundly transformed my life, and if there is one word that sums it up for me – Freedom! I am a low level paraplegic and use a wheelchair but can walk short distances. Walking uses masses of energy, and the wheelchair is good for work. However the Omeo gives me the Freedom to go where I want, when I want and takes me places that I cannot go using other means of mobility. My 14 year old son, Gus loves the fact that we can go for a cruise together - Gus on his bike and me on my Omeo. I live in Lincoln just out of Christchurch, and Gus has shown me places that I didn’t know existed in our small town. One evening he said to me while we were out, “This is great isn’t it Dad – this is what you got it for so we can go out and do this stuff”. My heart grew several sizes that evening. The Omeo has given me the Freedom to spend more quality time with my son. My wife and I now go for walks and for the first time since we met 25 years ago, the Omeo has given me the Freedom to hold her hand while we walk. She’s now looking to get a mountain bike so we can go further and explore other places further afield. We have a back in the Marlborough Sounds where I have been going all my life. An evening tradition has often been to go for an evening walk to a place called Karaka Point – about a kilometers away on an uphill/downhill road. At Karaka Point, there are the remnants of a historic Pa down a walking track. I took the Omeo down there for the first time since I had my injury 29 years ago. It was an incredibly profound moment with memories flooding back from when I was a kid. Just amazing. Gus had a rowing regatta at Lake Hood in Canterbury recently. I took the Omeo and while watching I thought I’d go across to the other side of the Lake and watch a race or two from there. Then I went to the end of the lake to watch down the lanes and to see the crews finish. Then I went the 2km length of the course to the start line to watch some starts. From the side, from the end - whatever I chose. This, without having to think about how much energy I would have to expend, what it was going to do to my shoulders etc. To get those distances without the Omeo simply would not have been an option, I would have had to take the car. The Omeo gave me the Freedom to watch the racing from many different vantage points, where and when I felt like it. One of the reasons I got the Omeo was part of a package including a 4WD ute. I used to do a lot of tramping and mountain climbing which I can no longer do. Living in Canterbury, the mountains are on our doorstep. There are many huts that are accessible by 4WD, so the intent is to drive to remote huts. Without the Omeo, I would be limited to within 100m of the hut. With the Omeo off-road wheels, I will have the Freedom to explore! One of my hobbies is astrophotography and time-lapse astrophotography. With the 4WD and the Omeo, I will have the Freedom to access to dark skies and wonderful scenery to follow my passion. My wife’s parents live at the Rangitata River mouth for the summer. I have taken the Omeo there and it has opened the opportunity to go for beach walks with everyone instead of staying behind while they walk. I am looking forward to exploring the Freedom that the Omeo will present to me. I have so many opportunities to go and do whatever I choose, from walking tracks including some of New Zealand’s Great Walks, beach walks, traveling, Rail Trails and cycle trails to name just a few. The Omeo has had a profound impact, improving my quality of life significantly and I’m looking forward to seeing how far I can take it. Thanks Omeo”
On 05/05/2022, users said:
"There is no comparison with anything else in this space. An Omeo is driven by body movement. Move your body, move your Omeo. It's not just your joystick fingers getting a workout (although public health here doesn't fund exercise machines so be careful what you say) but making use of your full body systems and brain to move. Plus it has the added unexpected benefit of being "cool" to the general public which gives you a better place in society as a whole. Push, push push I say. I've a Smartdrive for my manual chair. I'm going to return it to public health as in 6 months I have not used it."
"Simple fact is there is nothing else equivalent to the Omeo it just offers an unmatched level of accessibly & independence. Find me something else that is so agile inside the home & gets me access to the beach & shops like the Omeo."
"In terms of getting it in and out of a vehicle the freedom. Trax are almost a 2 person lift whereas the Omeo, although heavier can roll easily in and out of a car.
"Freedom Trax cannot be used indoors or hands free, it’s not a comparable device."
"Well for one, the Omeos wheel set up is much more feasible than a wheelchair. From my experience wheelchairs are fine with in foot paths and some grass areas but a wheelchair is majorly restricted. To a lot a different grades of soil, you can not access a beach - sand. The front wheels on a wheelchair always seem to dig in to anything partly gravel. Sometimes just accessing market places can be a trial. And grass areas don’t get me started, you nearly need to become a grass expert to know if it would be ok to drive the wheel chair across it or will I get stuck.
Where the Omeo eliminates this straight away with only having a wheel on either side with the option to change it up to bigger tires if going into sand soil areas. The Omeo has a higher speed level that could help between a life or death situation as they go faster with the option of slower. The wheelchair doesn’t have that range in speed. Why shouldn’t you be able to feel that wind on your face like you are "jogging". A wheelchair doesn’t give you a hand-free option and at times this can very terribly frustrating. For able-bodied people imagine having an arm tied back behind your back. Single handed see now you might be getting it. The Omeo practically gives a person back their full independence through use of an Omeo. No one will really get it unless there have gone through it. There are people back out working their horses etc.