VIDEO: Nitro Circus wheelchair daredevil to front flip 50ft Giganta ramp in Sheffield

MEET inspirational Aaron 'Wheelz' Fotheringham - the man honoured to be called the Evel Knievel of the wheelchair world.
Nitro Circus star Aaron 'Wheelz' Fotheringham - honoured to be called the Evel Knievel of the wheelchair world.Nitro Circus star Aaron 'Wheelz' Fotheringham - honoured to be called the Evel Knievel of the wheelchair world.
Nitro Circus star Aaron 'Wheelz' Fotheringham - honoured to be called the Evel Knievel of the wheelchair world.

"I ride in skate parks and do jumps on my wheelchair," says Wheelz, as a way of introduction.

He's being modest.

The 24-year-old Nitro Circus performer actually jumps off a massive football stadium filling ramp - called a Giganta Ramp - soars 50ft through the air, while doing back and front flips, before landing on his wheels to send crowds wild.

Wheelz, a crowd favourite wherever he goes, landed the world’s first wheelchair double backflip and first front flip. He is the only person in the world to hit Nitro’s famous Giganta Ramp in a wheelchair.

See amazing video of him in action on our web site here.

Wheelz, pioneering the new extreme sport of WCMX, or Wheelchair Motocross, will touch down with Nitro Circus death-defying daredevils pals, performing other amazing extreme sports stunts, on motorbikes, BMX bikes and more. at Sheffield United's Bramall Lane ground on Saturday, June 18.

TICKETS: Tickets for the tour are on sale now via www.nitrocircus.liveThe pitch, which once played host to Bruce Springsteen, is being transformed again into a new annual off season events and big name concert venue.

Nitro Circus star Aaron 'Wheelz' Fotheringham - honoured to be called the Evel Knievel of the wheelchair world.Nitro Circus star Aaron 'Wheelz' Fotheringham - honoured to be called the Evel Knievel of the wheelchair world.
Nitro Circus star Aaron 'Wheelz' Fotheringham - honoured to be called the Evel Knievel of the wheelchair world.

He was born with spina bifida, which has confined him to a wheelchair, but he's living proof that with positive attitude disability is not always an obstacle if you have a dream.

Fans say he reminds them of Evel Knievel - who used stadium ramps to jump over buses on a motorbike.

"I'm honoured to have that title. That's awesome," said Wheelz, from Las Vegas, on a pre-promotion visit to Bramall Lane. He took his wheelchair down the football terraced steps and for a pitch side spin to chat about his amazing carving, grinding, power-sliding, hand-planting,spinning and incredible jumps.

"When Nitro Circus comes here I'll be going down the Giganta Ramp on my wheelchair and trying to jump 50ft. And I'll be doing a front flip," he promised.

Nitro Circus star WheelzNitro Circus star Wheelz
Nitro Circus star Wheelz

"WCMX is a growing sport nd more and more people on wheelchairs are getting out there. I was always a big fan of extreme sports and I loved watching X Games. I was just dreaming of being able to do back flips in my wheelchair one ay and then I was able to pull it off, some how. I just fell in love with the sport and the adrenalin. It's what I love to do.

"I had a bunch of videos all over YouTube and just doing my own thing in the parks and stuff. Nitro Circus actually contacted me when I turned 18 and said, 'hey, we hears you'd love to jump a big ramp. We've got one and we're not going to tell you no'.

"I was born with Spina Bifida, a birth defect that does something to your back. I never spent too much time dwelling on it or researching it. It's just something that's part of me and it really hasn't ever held me back. Oh man, Spina Bifida has given me everything. Typically people give wheelchairs a stereotype, you can't do anything. Whatever. But my wheelchair's taken me all around the world doing these shows with Nitro Circus. It's been a huge blessing. It's cool to be in a position where I can do what I love."

TICKETS: Tickets for the tour are on sale now via www.nitrocircus.liveNitro’s cast of daredevils, described as the greatest action sports stars on the planet, will perform the most incredible choreographed riding routines ever in freestyle motocross (FMX), BMX, skate and more.

Nitro Circus star Wheelz in actionNitro Circus star Wheelz in action
Nitro Circus star Wheelz in action

Highlights include the explosive “Nitro Bomb” featuring all riders flipping simultaneously. Plus, during FMX trains, riders will slice through the air wheel-to-wheel, mere inches apart.

Nitro Circus athletes will also brave the infamous 40-foot Giganta ramp, which will launch a host of ridiculous contraptions like trikes, a penny farthing, a lounge chair, a bathtub and much more.

All of this mayhem in one show, requiring more than 15 trucks and 50 crew members to transport and set up, adds up to a theatrical spectacular area fans have never experienced before. This will be one of the biggest, if not the most massive, entertainment production ever to come to venues across the UK and Ireland.

Nitro Circus Live has sold out legendary arenas such as the O2 in London, AccorHotels Arena (formerly Bercy Arena) in Paris and Madison Square Garden in New York.

More than 35,000 people packed Johannesburg’s FNB Stadium, site of the 2010 soccer World Cup final, for a massive 2014 show; 45,000 filled Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena, the second highest attendance of any touring act at that venue. Now, fans from across the UK and Ireland do not want to miss their chance to see Nitro Circus Live.

Fans looking for the ultimate show will want to check out the Nitro Club Experience. These exclusive passes include the best seats in the house as well as a chance to get up close and personal with the stars of Nitro Circus during an exclusive Q & A session where they will talk about life on the road and answer an array of very personal questions that fans would not normally hear at a show or in the media.

Nitro Circus star WheelzNitro Circus star Wheelz
Nitro Circus star Wheelz

Nitro Club pass holders will also receive a souvenir lanyard and electronically signed Nitro poster, as well as a chance to win cool Nitro swag.

For Nitro Circus news, tour updates, full rider lineup, exclusive behind-the-scenes content, and more, go to www.nitrocircus.com.

Follow Nitro Circus on Twitter @nitrocircus and Facebook at www.facebook.com/NitroCircus.

Athletes subject to change.

UK TOUR DATES

Fri 03-Jun Worcester, Sixways Stadium

Sat 04-Jun Livingston, Tony Macaroni Arena

Sun 05-Jun Hull, KC Stadium

Fri 10-Jun Belfast, Windsor Park

Sat 11-Jun Dublin, Tallaght

Sun 12-Jun Cork, Irish Independent Park

Fri 17-Jun Llanelli, Parc y Scarlets

Sat 18-Jun Sheffield, Bramall Lane

Sun 19-Jun Yeovil, Huish Park

Fri 24-Jun Newcastle, Gateshead International Stadium

Sat 25-Jun Ipswich, Foxhall Stadium

Sat 02-Jul Peterborough, Peterborough Arena

Sun 03-Jul West Sussex, South of England Event Centre, Ardingly