Our Founder

2003 Capitol 10K in Austin

2003 Sadler's Midnight Sun Ultra Challenge with his beloved wife, Kate

Capitol Ride '05

Legless Lizard
Tour de Tejas '07

Mikail Davenport is a 60-year old native Texan who contracted poliomyelitis in 1950 at age 2. Until age 14, he underwent multiple reconstructive surgeries and was forced to wear a long-leg steel brace on his left leg. After 26 years of physical freedom, he developed post-poliomyelitis syndrome (PPS), a recurrence of the original polio symptoms: muscle weakness, chronic fatigue, and increased pain.

He learned Ta'i Chi Chu'an and practiced it for many years, hoping to combat the disabling effects of PPS. Forced back into a wheelchair in 1995, Mikail resigned himself to living with PPS, but vowed not to let the disease slow down his zest for life! He has written the Complete Wheelchair Workout, available for as a free download. In addition, Mikail has also developed a form of Yang Style T'ai Chi Chuan for wheelchair.

In late 2000, he answered an advertisement seeking participants in a local wheelchair team, and his athletic career began. Along with his disabled teammates of the Blaze Sports Austin Track Team in the Austin, Texas, area, Mikail continued to compete in numerous 5K, 10K, and marathon events until November, 2004, when injuries from a wheelchair racing accident caused him to retire from competition. He still uses his hand cycle for recreational cycling and long-distance endurance riding.

Immediately following his successful finish at the 2002 Motorola Marathon, he was diagnosed with lung cancer. His surgery was successful, removing 1/3 of his left lung. Less than one year later, he successfully completed the 2003 Motorola Marathon. Four months later, he took on his greatest challenge at the 19th Annual Sadler's Midnight Sun Ultra Challenge, the longest wheelchair and handcycle race in the world at 267-miles over six days, finishing 18th overall against a field of younger professional athletes.

In March, 2005, Mikail rode his handcycle on the 350-mile Capitol Ride '05 from the Texas Gulf Coast to the State Capitol in Austin, Texas to raise funds for (and awareness of) serious disability issues before the Texas Legislature.

In March, 2007, he again rode across Texas to raise awareness of disability issues before the Texas Legislature, but this time from El Paso to Beaumont, a total of 950 miles over 25 days, in the Legless Lizard Tour de Tejas.

An ordained interfaith minister, Mikail supports himself as a web designer, technical writer, and consultant. He is married with one son. He devotes volunteer time for two non-profits, (The Coalition of Texans with Disabilities and Alliance for Better Living), performs sacred music, leads sacred dance, and provides spiritual direction for others. He is available for public speaking and T'ai Chi class engagements.

Mikail's philosophy of life is summed up in Instructions for Life.

He supports the work of Disabled, Not Unable through his design and consulting business.