In 1976, when Rick Judson was 26 years old playing semi-pro baseball, he was running towards first base, when his toe started to drag, toppling him over. He dragged himself to first base and called the coach to take him out. He visited a chiropractor soon after asking for help with a possible pinched nerve. The chiropractor referred Rick to a neurologist, where Rick was soon diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). "I was told I would end up in bed, being spoon fed," he recalls. Born in cold South Dakota from a long line of Homesteaders, Rick was not about to give up. Rick had married his high school sweetheart, Loretta, while attending high school in Johnstown, Colorado, and was already blessed with a family.

Rick continued to work and play baseball by coaching his son's team all the way through his high school years. In 1983, he started a 14 player boys baseball team, called the Traveler's since they traveled all over Colorado. Rick would pile the players in the back of his pick-up and received help from a friend's minivan to get them to their games. In their second year, they won their first championship, being invited to a 5 state "All Star" tournament, winning that also. "We were called the rag tag team because we played in blue jeans and t-shirts, but the city of Johnstown stepped up and purchased us official uniforms." Rick and Loretta funded their baseball team by planning adult tournaments and dances. The team Rick created grew to over 300 players and became part of the Johnstown Recreation Department. He still sees kids wearing Traveler's t-shirts around town, which makes him smile.

As Rick's MS progressed, he eventually had to go on disability full time in 1987. He went from using a cane, to crutches, and eventually a wheelchair over a 20 year span. He was no longer able to work at the Nuclear Power Plant. His youngest of three children was now 4 years old and he became a stay at home dad. His wife Loretta continued to work. After a while, Rick starting to have trouble driving. There were good days and bad days. On days that his legs were causing him a lot of trouble, he would physically have to pick up his leg off the accelerator and move it to the brake.

One day, Rick remembers that Loretta was working and the kids were in school. He was sitting there craving a hamburger and wanted to go out and get one. He went into his garage and started messing around with a rod and bent some tools together so that he could clamp some hand controls onto his accelerator and brake. He successfully drove out to get his hamburger and when his wife came home, he said, "I can drive your car now."

Soon, word got out in Johnstown and Rick received a phone call from a 20 year old paraplegic who had a Cadillac sitting in his driveway that he couldn't drive. He wanted Rick to make him a set of hand controls so he could drive 200 miles in the snow to see his family. He was Rick's first paying customer. Rick took his design to a friend who was a machinist at the Nuclear Power Plant and paid him to create a prototype for him. He designed the Peddle Master product back in 1991 and incorporated the product in 1993.

Since then, he has filtered calls from all over the world. "Folks have called me who are very depressed and don't know what to do. Their independence has been taken away." Rick has spent hours on the phone counseling people and helping them find that independence with the Peddle Master product. "You can drive almost any car and can travel and rent cars too." Most of Rick's business over the past 18 years has been from referrals, but decided to design a website back in 1997 to help customers. He is very excited about the Peddle Master product and how it has made such a difference in so many people's lives.

This year, in 2011, Peddle Master is taking its product to a whole new level. The Web site is being updated to meet customers' needs to include an educational Video, Frequently Asked Questions, and a Resources page. The product now comes with an optional carrying case/driving knob.

For more information on the Peddle Master product and how you or someone you care about can use portable hand controls within their vehicle, please visit www.peddlemaster.com.