(CNN) -- I started playing sports at a young age and gravitated toward wheelchair basketball and track. In college, I decided to focus primarily on track and pursue my dream of going to the Paralympics. With the support of a great coach and team, I was selected as a member of Team USA and competed in track at the Paralympic Games in London in 2012. On Saturday, April 6, I embarked on the most challenging journey of my life. I left Los Angeles, heading toward New York City in my racing wheelchair -- a 71-day journey of 3,300 miles. While I didn't know what to expect or how my body would react to the demands of "pushing" the equivalent of two to three marathons a day, I knew one thing for sure -- I'd get it done. I committed to Push Across America as my way of giving back to Stay-Focused, an organization that has significantly impacted my life.
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Paralympian Ryan Chalmers was born with spina bifida
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Starting in April, he pushed his wheelchair from Los Angeles to New York
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Chalmers wanted to help promote "disability sports"
Paralympics
Paralympic Games
During my Paralympic experience in London, where 80,000 fans cheered for me and my fellow Paralympians at each and every event, I was impressed with how the fans embraced us as athletes -- athletes first, @placeholder second.