Twila Adams is the new face of the Florida-based lift manufacturer
Sarasota, FL; Charlotte, N.C. – Twila Adams, a retired U.S. Army non-commissioned officer, has partnered with Sarasota, Florida-based lift manufacturer Harmar to promote positive, independent lifestyles for wheelchair users. Adams, who was partially paralyzed in a 1994 car accident, has used a Harmar vehicle lift since 2008. Harmar announced the partnership in recognition of Veterans Day.
Adams joined the Army in 1980 and served as an NCO in Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm. She retired in 1992. In 1994, while she was volunteering for a mobile meals charity, she broke her C4 and C5 vertebrae in a car accident. Doctors told her she would never walk again. Through intense therapy and an indomitable spirit, she’s regained partial use of her arms and right leg. In 2011 she began playing tennis and has since won medals in the National Veterans Wheelchair Games.
“It’s easy for me to be a part of Harmar because it works,” says Adams, who is also a member of Paralyzed Veterans of America. “Without a Harmar lift in my vehicle, I wouldn’t be able to transport my scooter. There’s shopping, there’s doctor’s appointments, there’s socialization, there’s traveling. I’m just grateful to share a little hope.”
When she’s not on the tennis court, Adams performs at public speaking engagements to promote her positive, service-minded philosophy. From the moment of the accident, Adams’ outlook has been, “I’m still here. How can I contribute?”
The Harmar partnership began with a chance meeting on a plane in 2014. Matt Weaver, Harmar’s director of government sales, sat next to Adams and took an immediate interest in her military service and her athletic career. After seeing her compete in the 2018 Games in Orlando, he asked her to be a company ambassador.
“Twila has always had a remarkable, undaunted attitude, and her story continues to be so inspirational,” says Harmar CEO Steve Dawson. “We’re so happy we get to be a small part of that story. We like to say, ‘We lift lives,’ and Twila absolutely embodies that spirit.”
Adams credits the military for her business-as-usual can-do attitude. “People say, ‘Thank you for your service,’ but we’re doing our job,” she says. “You can take on the same spirit every day you go to work. It’s about what you bring to the table each day.”
# # #