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Ryan Grassley, left, and Sam Durst pose outside of the Extreme Motus headquarters Tuesday, May 26, 2026, in Payson.

Jacob Nielson, Daily Herald

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A medal from the Pleasant Grove Berserker Blitz is shown.

Courtesy photo

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Sam Durst has gone just about everywhere on his Motus All-Terrain Wheelchair alongside childhood friend Ryan Grassley, with each adventure documented for the world to see.

Their TikTok channel, Extreme Motus, has more than 400,000 followers who watch Durst, who has celebral palsy and is wheelchair-bound, navigate through rocky terrain, snow fields and even trampoline parks on a custom-made chair with absorbent, low-pressure tires.

The Utah County-based duo has used the exposure to grow a wheelchair business that shares the social media name, selling thousands of all-terrain wheelchairs to individuals globally so those with disabilities can have experiences they otherwise couldn’t access.

Seven years into the journey, Grassley and Durst continue to expand their horizons. Last year, they started a nonprofit, Outdoor Access Project, aimed at growing outdoor accessibility for others. They launched a new accessibility event for wheelchair-bound individuals and their families to enjoy, the Pleasant Grove Berserker Blitz.

The second annual blitz, which is an obstacle course designed for wheelchair users, will take place at 11 a.m. Saturday at Cook Family Park.

“Sam has become a hero to many people with mobility challenges, because of his videos,” Grassley said. “They watch him, and they see what he does, and the places he goes, and it gives them hope.”

Durst said: “It’s fun to see the look on people’s faces.”

An adventurous journey

To Grassley, inclusion means treating everyone normally — something that doesn’t always happen for people with disabilities.

He said strangers will come up to Durst and change the pitch of their voice like they’re talking to a child, then say things like “You’re such an inspiration,” and “You’re so brave.”

“Sam’s 43-years-old,” Grassley said. “No 43-year-old would want to be patted on the head and talked to like a baby. … Sam and I treat each other like regular dudes.”

A lack of inclusion is especially seen in outdoor activities due to inaccessibility. For most of Durst’s life, he would wait in the car alongside his mother, Christine Durst, while the rest of the family hiked and explored the incredible nature Utah has to offer.

That all changed in 2019, when Durst went on what he said is the most memorable trip he’s been on. The Extreme Motus wheelchair, first designed by retired Provo firefighter Dale Pitts, had just launched, and Grassley had been hired by Extreme Motus full time to promote it. He decided they would try to take Durst to the Delicate Arch in it.

“We had a lot of people trying to talk us out of going there, saying ‘It’s too hard, you guys won’t make it, it’s too dangerous, you’ll get hurt,’ and I was like, ‘Let’s just see how far we make it,'” Grassley said.

Christine Durst came along as the “safety police,” Grassley said. If she thought the trek was too dangerous, she would call it off and they would turn around.

The most daunting point of the journey came when the group reached the bottom of Slick Rock Slab, looked up at a huge rock and people at the top that looked like ants.

That’s when a young couple on their honeymoon stepped in and offered to help. They pushed and pulled Grassley all the way to the top. When they reached the arch, emotion poured over the group.

“His mom starts crying, and she goes, ‘This is the first time we’ve ever been able to do anything like this all together as a family,'” Grassley said. “And that’s when it dawned on me that the right piece of mobility equipment isn’t just for one person. It’s so that person’s whole circle of friends and family can all go and do things together they were previously excluded from.”

Grassley and Durst continue to push the limits of what accessibility truly means, taking Durst to some outside-the-box places.

Last year, Grassley walked into The Hive Trampoline and Adventure Parks in Spanish Fork to see if they would let Durst jump with the wheelchair. Owner Russell Jackson said he was hesitant at first, because regular wheelchairs have sharp edges that could damage the trampoline.

Grassley said they agreed to cover any metal parts with pool noodles to alleviate concerns, and Jackson allowed him to jump. Videos show Durst with a huge smile on his face as he bounces around the park.

“Isn’t that awesome?” Jackson said. “It’s just the human spirit. He’s like, ‘we’re going to find a way,’ and I was just happy to be a part of that. I’m super psyched that they wanted to come in to our park in the first place, and then for them to be able to come and do everything that everybody else is doing, it’s so creative, so inclusive, so kind.”

Sharing with others

Wheelchair-bound individuals can get a taste of the adventures Durst goes on at Saturday’s Berserker Blitz.

That idea originated from a meeting Grassley and Durst had with Pleasant Grove Recreation Director Megan Zollinger to discuss doing an event for children with disabilities.

Grassley said he did not want to do a 5K because it is boring, and the kids only get cheered on at the beginning and end of the race. Instead, they designed an obstacle course where the kids can be cheered for the entire time as they go through the skate park, pump track, foosball courts and more at the park.

“Everyone is wearing a number, and there’s a DJ on a platform built on top of a school bus,” Grassley said. “He can see them coming, he reads their numbers, checks the spreadsheet, and then reads their names off.

“It just makes them feel really special, that’s what the whole event is about. The time doesn’t matter, the distance doesn’t matter, the fun factor is the only thing that’s important.”

Last year’s event was attended by 50 children with disabilities and their families, and was a rousing success. It won an award from the Utah Parks and Recreation Association and became a potential model for future wheelchair activities.

The blitz returns to Pleasant Grove on Saturday, and is Viking-themed — a nod to the local high school’s mascot. Prep football players will be on hand to push kids up a large hill.

A similar event will take place in Payson on June 13, and Grassley said they’ve had inquiries from towns like Grand Junction, Colorado, and Tacoma, Washington, on how they could do one in their towns.

“With the nonprofit, we envision growing to be able to host all those events all over the country, the way that Spartan races happen,” he said.

The vision continues to expand. At the root of it all, though, is the same motive that got Durst to Delicate Arch: to not be held back by a physical disability and live life to the fullest.

“If Sam wasn’t out doing these adventures, what would he be doing?” Grassley said. “Sitting in an assisted living center, working on a pressure sore that’ll kill him someday. Instead, we’re out there enjoying life.”

“It’s fun, but crazy,” Durst said.