Former Ironman triathlete John Henderson was hit by a bus while riding his bike six years ago on the North Shore, but even though it left him partially paralyzed, it hasn’t stopped him from getting back on two wheels.

Henderson, who is a paraplegic, still rides several bikes — he has modified, hand-operated mountain bikes, road bikes and a beach cruiser. The only difference now is that Henderson, who was once a champion mountain biker, uses his arms and shoulders to power his wheels.

"There’s no better feeling than feeling the wind in your face and feeling the flow," he said. "And so you get in what they call the zone. And that zone is a place that I love to be."

Henderson, 40, is what his doctors call an incomplete paraplegic. He still has feeling in his legs and even can stand and take a few steps if he uses a walker. But most of the time he gets around in a wheelchair.

He has no memory of the accident.

In May 2009 a tour bus hit Henderson from behind while he was riding on the shoulder of Kame­ha­meha Highway climbing up from Hale­iwa near Dole Plantation. The accident damaged his spinal cord, fractured vertebrae and ribs, and punctured his lungs.

The near-fatal accident put him in a coma for 10 days, but he survived and went through months of intense rehab to regain his limited movement.

In the first few weeks home from the hospital following the accident, Henderson remembers waking up each morning and feeling angry because he wanted to be out enjoying activities the way he used to.

He’s since put that anger behind him, and here’s why: Besides the hand-operated bikes, Henderson has a customized surfboard, dirt bike, motorcycle and ATVs, all of which help him enjoy the outdoors.

Just about the only thing that keeps Henderson from working out is work. His business, Minvatech Hawaii, which provides minimally invasive surgical technologies to hospitals in the islands, keeps him busy.

"Now I can get almost everywhere," he said. "The question I ask now is, How do I do it?"

Swimming used to be his least favorite triathlon event but is now his No. 1 fitness activity. With the buoyancy of water, he can stand up and take a few steps.

"The water is my haven," Henderson said.

He gets in the pool almost daily to do strengthening exercises or swim laps. The laps did not come easily at first because Henderson’s lung injuries resulted in less breathing capacity.

Henderson still struggles with memories from the intensive care unit, when a tube brought air to his damaged lungs, making him feel trapped.

"When I get out of breath, I get stressed because I woke up intubated with a tube in my throat," he said. "It was one of the hardest things in my life, ever. I had to relearn how to breathe, swallow, talk. That’s a big fear, so I need to overcome that."

Henderson continues to stay involved in sports by coaching others — including his wife, Laurel, a top-ranking triathlete — and organizing events.

In 2013 he started NiteRun, a family-friendly 5K fun run that raises money for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Hawaii and Boys & Girls Club. The run takes place outdoors at night as participants wearing headlamps are guided along an adventurous course of roads, parks and beach shorelines. The NiteRun is followed by live music and food.

He also founded Holomua on Wheels, which aims to offer disabled individuals access to adaptive equipment as well as educate able-bodied persons about the challenges involved and how they can be overcome.

When he was a competitive athlete, doing XTERRA and Ironman races, Henderson said his focus was on improving his performance and time.

After the accident, his focus shifted to giving back to the community.

The key to healing, according to Henderson, is to let go of the past. For him the first step was getting rid of all of the bikes he used to ride.

"I don’t live in the past," he said. "I live way in the future. I definitely have sad days, but they’re few and far between now and I just try to focus on the next project."

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