The How To Man- Jacob Sharff

Jacob was in a car accident in 1999 at age 16. Although he had the support of family and friends he still had a tough time dealing with his injury… many of you can relate to that.

But, whatever right? Check him out now. Jacob finished school, went to college and graduated with a Business degree from the University of Florida. He now has his own business, a lovely wife and a house in West Palm Beach.

So he skis, and he handcycles, and is an active guy. Jacob volunteers and likes to help “newbies” adjust to their injury. But after noticing that newbies sometimes aren’t ready to reach out and talk, he made a website to share with others just how he rolls!

Check out How I Roll and you will find all sorts of How To videos and blogs! Plus, you can share your story with others and suggest video topics. Watch below and witness how wheelchairs and escalators can be friends.

Wheelchair vs Escalator: How To at Macy’s in NYC from Jacob on Vimeo.

Occupation: Owner of Real Estate Property Tax Fighters (www.REPTF.com), which is a property tax appeal company based in South Florida

Injury Level: T8-T11

Cause of Injury: Car accident while cutting class as a junior in highschool. Resulted in torn decending aorta. The surgery to save my life resulted in “ischemic paralysis”

Status (single, married, etc.): Married

Siblings: 1 older brother

Hometown: West Palm Beach, FL

Favorite band/kind of music/musician:  Pink Floyd(fav albums: The Final Cut, Dark Side of the Moon, The Wall)

Favorite films: Scent of a Woman, Finding Forrester, Brave Heart

Favorite books; favorite authors: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

Favorite restaurant/food: Cuban

Favorite beverage: Coca-Cola… I know, i know.. It’s bad for me!

Who do you live with? My wife Ana, our cat Isabel, and our German Shepherd puppy Nina

Do you own a car? Infiniti G35 coupe. *2 door car is better than 4 door when breaking down a rigid wheelchair everyday.

Where did you go on your last vacation? Two friends and I went skiing in Aspen, Colorado.  I learned to ski in Aspen at Snowmass mountain about 6 years ago, through an amazing non-profit organization called Challenge Aspen.  I strongly recommend sit-sking to anyone who hasn’t tried.

Do you have a pet?  Cat named Isabel and dog named Nina.

Do you have your own website? Yes, www.HowiRoll.com

Do you go out much?  My wife and I go out to dinner and movie often.

What’s your dream job? Getting paid to teach/inspire people who are newly injured and confined to a wheelchair.

Do you work out or play any sports? I ride a hand-cycle 2-3 times a week. It’s good for upper body strength, but more importantly good for cardio workout. In the winter I LOVE to sit-ski. There’s a blog with a sitski video taken in Aspen that’s pretty cool.  And just recently I started practicing with a wheelchair rugby (aka Murder Ball) team. I say “practicing” because wheelchair rugby is a quad sport, and therefore I’m not allowed to officially play.

Hobbies: Hand-cycling, playing poker

Hidden talent:  I enjoy sculpting/carving stone

What irritates you?  Drunk irrational people…

What do you consider awesome?  Half Baked Ben n Jerry’s ice cream

Where would you love to live? Manhattan, NY … not forever, just for the experience.

What takes up the majority of your time? Unfortunately work… I would love to spend 8 hours a day working on HowiRoll.com

What do you do in your free time?  Take my wild puppy Nina for long walks.

Dinner with anyone, dead or alive, who would it be? What would you ask them? My deceased grandfather. I’d ask if he’s proud of me.

During your child hood what was your favorite cartoon? Woody the Woodpecker

How many pairs of shoes do you own? More than I need

Favorite original Nintendo game? Original Zelda

Type of gum you like? Cotton Candy Bubbalicious

A short term goal: Hand-cycle in the Miami “MS 150”, which is a 2 day 150 mile bike ride from Miami to Key Largo and back. Last year I made it only half way. This year I plan on finishing. The ride is April 21-22.

A Long term goal: Get paid to do something I love!