RICHMOND, Va. -- Danica King doesn't let anything stop her from spending time outdoors. Not even a disease like Multiple Sclerosis.
"I was diagnosed August 19, 2010," King said. "Before I was diagnosed, I was walking totally unassisted. I went from one walking pole to two walking poles. Now, I am usually using my rollator. Sometimes I have a manual wheelchair."
King said she was less active prior to her diagnosis.
It was only until shortly after she found out she had the disease that she started picking up different sports and participating in group activities with Sportable.
Now, the Sportable athlete is always busy, cycling on the Virginia Capital Trail, playing pickleball, and racing up rock-climbing walls in her free time.
However, there's one thing she's noticed navigating with limited mobility.
Park trails, some of her favorite places, are not always accessible to her.
During an interview with CBS 6, King demonstrated how she struggles to walk on dirt or gravel paths using her rollator. Though she has used different wheelchairs in the past, an all-terrain power wheelchair that would help travel along different paths could cost tens of thousands of dollars.
"I have this thing, an access card which gives people with disabilities access to nationwide parks, a bunch of state parks," King said. "Yes it'll be free to get to the park, but who knows if it'll be fully accessible for me."
King said not knowing what park trails she'd be able to access until she gets to a location can be frustrating.
"You can go there, but if you can't enjoy it, what's the point?" she asked.
House Bill 2453, introduced by Delegate Kathy Tran (D - Fairfax), would've allowed the state's Department of Conservation and Recreation to start a two-year pilot program offering all-terrain power wheelchairs that could be used during visits. The pilot program would've started October 1 of this year.
Though it received support, the bill was tabled during appropriations.
State Parks Director Melissa Baker said the department still wants to make it happen.
"We are still looking at the all-terrain wheelchairs," Baker said. "We are evaluating what the state of the industry is, and what the best wheelchairs are out there. We're also looking at how that might be implemented in a Virginia State Park system."
Baker said it's a process that will take time and money, planning where to put them and which trails can take on the changes.
"To be able to do this and do this well, we have to think about all aspects of our operations," Baker said.
Baker said her department is currently reconstructing cabins at several parks to bring them up to ADA compliance. She also encouraged families who may have concerns about accessibility to call before their visit to get extra assistance from park staff.
Even if getting wheelchairs takes time, a plan to make visits to state parks a more viable option is one King is hopeful for.
"If there was a way to make all the pieces come together, I, and a lot of the disabled community, would very much appreciate that," King said.
Depend on CBS 6 News and WTVR.com for in-depth coverage of this important local story. Anyone with more information can email newstips@wtvr.com to send a tip.
