Video shows pro ‘sit skier’ rumble down NYC subway stairs backwards in wheelchair to raise awareness
A heart-stopping viral video shows how one tourist navigating New York City in a wheelchair got down the subway stairs — backwards, gripping each handrail and rolling down one step at a time.
On his way to a Yankee game last week, Trevor Kennison, a professional “sit skier” who uses adaptive equipment to ski sitting down, spun around at the top step and rolled down the two sets of stairs at the Bleecker Street subway station in reverse.
Kennison’s video, which got 1.6 million TikTok views, aimed to raise awareness about the accessibility issues his spinal cord-injury community faces, and was a reminder that not every subway exit has an elevator.
Only about a quarter of NYC stations are fully accessible and the Bleecker Street station’s elevator was out of service that day, according to riders.
“I’m thankful that I can do that what I did in that video but I have friends, quadriplegics who don’t have grip strength, or people who have injuries like mine — they can’t do that,” Kennison told The Post.
The harrowing stunt shocked viewers, some who wondered how he would then find his way back out of the subway station and others upset to see him touching the dirty handrails.
“That gave me such a panic attack as someone in a power chair,” one TikToker commented, referring to her motorized wheelchair. “You are incredible,” said another commenter.
In 2014, Kennison, now 31, broke his back in a snowboarding accident and was paralyzed from the waist down.
He has since adapted to life in a wheelchair and become a professional skier.
A Netflix documentary released last year followed how he and alpinist Barry Corbet have both adapted to extreme sports.
The film captures Kennison nailing a double back flip — the world’s first in a sit-ski — at the exact Vail Pass, Coloradp, site of his original accident.
The Colorado resident said he typically avoids the subway because he can’t rely on elevators working but wanted to get the “full experience” on his way to go see the Bronx Bombers.
The next day, he threw the opening pitch at the Mets game and hung out with first baseman Pete Alonso.
“It’s all about how I can bring about awareness, like I’ve done these crazy acts skiing but how can I bring awareness to accessibility and help out my people,” Kennison said.
