Wheelchair maker gives hope to disabled

Geum develops business from simple repair shop to builder of specialized sports models


Half the workers at wheelchair maker Wheel Line are disabled themselves, including chief executive Geum Dong-ok.

The reason: “Those who need them the most will make wheelchairs with passion and consideration,” he says.

Geum, 39, was a healthy, responsible young man before an incident 20 years ago, when he spotted a girl he knew getting harassed by pimps. When he tried to rescue her, they stabbed him in his back. The injury took away the use of both his legs.

He lived in an absolute state of anguish. He could not work like before, and his vigor for life was replaced by weariness.

When Geum finally raised himself up, fixing wheelchairs was initially just something he could do with a relative ease. He had learned how to repair automobiles before he was injured, and though he could no longer do that, he found out he could fix wheelchairs.

While working as a wheelchair mechanic, Geum felt sympathy for those who needed their wheelchairs fixed but found it surprisingly difficult to do. Normally, the makers of wheelchairs fix their own products, but in Korea where most wheelchairs are imported, not many had the means to get their wheelchairs fixed promptly.

“The more I met the people who needed their wheelchairs fixed, the sorrier I felt for them.”

After a while, Geum wanted to make wheelchairs that were both affordable and designed to suit the body types of Koreans. When he launched his own wheelchair company in 1999, he did everything by himself. The business was tough, and there were many moments when he felt like giving up.

“I was foolish to think making a wheelchair would be similar to fixing one. I had no experience in the business and had to learn everything by myself from scratch.”

Good intentions did not necessarily translate into a good business. In 2004, he had to stop operation. It took two years until he could resume making wheelchairs.

At last, Geum saw a future in making sports wheelchairs. Not only was Korea’s adaptive sports industry in its infant state, but Geum felt what the disabled needed the most was more access to exercise. Geum himself had been an active person before his injury but with his wheelchair, he felt heavy and insufficiently exercised.

“The disabled need to exercise more. There are hardly any opportunities to do aerobic exercises, and wheelchairs are the only things that enable us to work out. Doing sports not only enhances the physical and social healthiness of the disabled, it also gives them a sense of confidence.”

For two years, Geum enthusiastically studied and improved his sports wheelchairs. Making sports wheelchairs was far more difficult than making normal wheelchairs. In order to withstand vigorous physical activities such as rugby, wheelchairs needed to be both maneuverable and durable. And for that reason, not many bought his wheelchairs, which had not been test-proven.

The turning point for his business came with a world-renowned wheelchair-bound badminton player, Shim Jae-yul.

At the time, Shim’s efforts were hampered by an old, poorly maintained wheelchair with which he had to play. The tailored wheelchair Geum made for Shim became the player’s wings, and with it, Shim became a dominant figure in wheelchair badminton.

Shim won gold in the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Para Games and 2011 Paralympic World Championships.

Word of his sports wheelchairs quickly spread. Many athletes started using Geum’s wheelchairs, which were half the price of imported ones but just as good. And with the success with his business, Geum was ready to take on another challenge.

Since Geum started making sports wheelchairs, he wanted to broaden the scene of adaptive sports. Along with Seoul city, Geum started sponsoring an adaptive rugby team. He donated to the team more than a dozen sports wheelchairs, each worth 4 million won ($3,500).

Geum’s dream was also shared by his employees, and three of them at Wheel Line play for the team. Now Geum’s rugby team is a strong candidate for the championship and is a source of pride for both Geum and the employees of Wheel Line.

On the other hand, Geum was also mildly disappointed with the government’s policy regarding sports wheelchairs. When a disabled person buys an electric wheelchair, the government provides 2 million won ($1,768) to support the purchase. However, if a person were to buy a sports wheelchair, the government provides no financial aid. In reality, since sports wheelchairs are so expensive, not many individuals have the ability to buy them on their own.

“Of course it is a good thing the government supports the purchase of electric wheelchairs; however, they should also take into consideration that comfort is not the only thing the disabled need,” he said.

“What we need is the encouragement to live independently, to overcome difficulties and to strive to live like normal, healthy people despite our disabilities. And to do that, there are few better things than playing sports.”

Geum was awarded the Order of Civil Merit by the government in July for his contribution and dedication in improving the quality of life for the disabled.

By Kim Jung-ho (jungho1991@gmail.com)