Unstoppable Spirit: An Inspiring Conversation with Roman Aranin on Resilience and Innovation

Roman Aranin, once a pilot and now a visionary entrepreneur, founded Observer, a company revolutionizing mobility solutions by creating Rolls-Royce-level wheelchairs. After a severe paragliding accident left him with a serious injury, Roman refused to let excuses define his life.

Our conversation with Roman was deeply uplifting and endlessly engaging. We discussed his country, his business, and his passion for life. Roman is a man truly in love with life, and it seems life loves him back.

The Man Who Soared

– Hello, Roman! Thank you for joining our special project.

– Hello, Nastya! Your project is fantastic.

– Tell us a bit about your childhood: where were you born, and what was your family like?

– I grew up in a classic Soviet family: my mother was a teacher, and my father served in the military. My early memories are filled with airfields and airplanes roaring overhead. I was born in the Saratov region, at Sennaya station. Later, my father was relocated to Kyrgyzstan and then to Almaty, where I finished school.

– Was moving frequently difficult, leaving friends behind?

– Not at all. I adapted easily. New schools and new people excited me. I genuinely like people. :)

– Your father was in the military. Did you follow his path?

– Absolutely. There was no question about my future. With planes flying overhead, what else could I be? By 14, I was already in an aero club, and at 15, I flew a sports plane solo. In 10th grade, I carried the "Yak-52 Pilot's Manual" under my arm to the airfield. Being a pilot was who I was.

– Did you ever want to rebel and choose a different career?

– No.

Flying is truly incredible. You look out the window at a gray sky, then break through the clouds into a blue sky filled with fluffy white clouds below.

– So why did you leave aviation?

– By 1992, military service meant teaching theory and painting curbs in an officer’s rank. There was no kerosene, no housing, no money.

I’m a proud man with a family to support – a wife and child. I needed to provide for them.

Also, I’m a creative person, and the army without flying had little room for creativity.

That’s when business was emerging in Russia, and I decided to pursue it.

The Wild Ride into Capitalism

– How were your first steps in the new capitalist world?

– Let’s just say, trading sandwiches was part of it.

– Really? :)

– Yes, indeed. :)

Even then, pilots were fed well – cutlets, meat, chocolates. But the students, married by the 4th year, didn’t attend these dinners. I collected leftover cutlets, borrowed a white coat from the medical unit, and sold sandwiches at the train station. The buffet lady’s sandwiches were stale, with thin bread and a single cutlet. Mine had thick bread, butter, two cutlets, and were half the price. Competition wasn’t fair – she reported me to the police. I was taken in and summoned to military prosecution. The case nearly led to expulsion. I pleaded, showing a photo of my wife and daughter, and was released with a warning: "Don’t come back here."

– What happened next?

– I resigned from the army, returned to Almaty, took a couple of surplus coats from service, and went to China to sell them. My parents’ dog had puppies, so I took that money too. That became the seed capital for my first company, R-Style, which still operates today.

– I understand it’s hard to ask how your life changed after your injury. Instead, how did you change?

– Before the injury, life was a crazy race. I remember feeling: I had everything (a solid business, projects), but I was deeply unhappy.

It may sound strange, but after the injury, I found happiness. Even a year after, when I could barely move, I felt happy.

Imagine me rolling with friends near the Kaliningrad Cathedral, a 750-year-old beautiful building built by the Teutons. I realized I had run there every morning and walked my dog, but never really seen it. Now, I saw the cathedral, the beautiful leaves, chestnuts, and the sky.

Sometimes you need to stop and truly see how beautiful life is.

– Did you ever want to isolate yourself and avoid people?

– On the contrary, after the injury, friends and acquaintances came in a constant stream. Interestingly, people brought their problems to me. They visited, but ended up sharing their difficulties. Maybe I was just a very patient listener – nowhere to run. :) They compared their troubles with mine (usually mine outweighed theirs) and felt better. Now, no one sees me as disabled; they come for business advice.

Tanks Don’t Fear Mud

– Roman, tell us about Observer. What does your company do?

– When talking about wheelchairs, it’s important to understand degrees of disability. People often think a wheelchair user actively propels themselves. When only legs are paralyzed, and arms work, nothing beats an active wheelchair.

My situation was different. After my injury, I could only move my lips and blink. Standard wheelchairs weren’t suitable.

My challenge was to get out of the house.

I have a friend, Boris Efimov. We climbed mountains together in Almaty and joined the aero club simultaneously. He has brilliant technical thinking. In school, we built light shows and tinkered with engines. He became my partner in Observer.

Together, we devised a solution: installing a gyroscope under the wheelchair seat to track its position and keep it level. The frame with wheels can tilt 30–35º, but you won’t feel it—you’ll sit straight. This idea came after I fell face-first out of my chair descending to the sea. That’s how Observer was born.

Another key team member, Yura Zakharov, once my personal assistant, is now my deputy.

Boris hand-crafted parts on a manual lathe; we tested various gearboxes and motors.

Our goals expanded. I wanted not just to leave home but to take my child to forests or sandy dunes. Thus, all-terrain wheelchairs for beaches and woods were developed.

Further experiments showed our wheelchairs could even climb stairs. Eventually, we were ready to share this innovation globally.

– Was it difficult to start such a business in Russia?

– We plan to officially launch wheelchair production in Russia by January.

– So everything is assembled abroad now?

– Yes.

I have a Chinese friend since 1992, when I left the army. She runs two factories with 400 workers. I told her about my wheelchair project; her neighboring factory was already producing them.

Currently, we source electronics from the UK, gearboxes from Germany, motors from Taiwan, and assemble everything in China.

Gradually, we are moving production to Russia. The workshop is ready.

– Will this reduce product costs?

– Prices will likely stay similar since we pay workers more here. However, quality and delivery times will improve. For exports to Argentina, Brazil, and Australia, manufacturing in China is more cost-effective. For Europe, especially Italy and Germany, assembly will be local.

– Your prices seem high for average-income Russians. Are there subsidy programs?

– Five to six years ago, electric wheelchairs were a distant dream for most disabled people in Russia. Now, the government allocates more funds. Social services purchase our wheelchairs and provide them free to those in need. Obtaining such high-quality rehabilitation equipment is complex but possible.

The State is Us

– Roman, you travel extensively, including Europe. Do you think Russia will reach European standards in accessibility and social support?

– Countries like Denmark and Sweden will always be leaders, as they have long prioritized this. But I firmly believe Russia will reach a comparable level within 5–7 years.

– Don’t you think things in Russia are often done "the Russian way"? Funds are allocated, but bureaucracy hinders progress?

– That’s why I founded my own disability organization. The All-Russian Society of Disabled Persons, no offense, doesn’t function effectively. Funds are allocated but not properly used. I gathered activists and, like Artem Moiseenko, created my own "Ark."

Our main goal is to prevent misuse of funds. For example, in Kaliningrad, about 30 tracked lifts were purchased—the cheapest technical solution. I recently visited the Arbitration Court equipped with one—it didn’t work. Batteries were dead, and no one was trained. The same happened at the Museum of the World Ocean. Money was spent, but nothing works.

We aim to control funding at the allocation stage, ensuring technical specifications are accurate. For example, if a stair climber is purchased, it must handle all types of stairs; ramps must meet building codes. We also monitor new and renovated facilities. Often, people unintentionally create barriers—like a 3 cm curb that can seriously injure a wheelchair user.

This summer, we plan seminars on barrier-free environments in Svetlogorsk by the sea, inviting architects, builders, and officials. Experts from Berlin and London will provide training.

– Does the government support these initiatives?

– The government seems more open to NGOs now. They seek dialogue and cooperation because they can’t manage alone.

For example, we’re developing a network of wheelchair repair workshops—already opened in Kaliningrad, soon in Sochi, Oryol, Voronezh, and Murmansk. Social services highly appreciate this, as they can’t keep up.

– Great that the government is supportive. How about people’s mindset? Is it changing?

– That’s the main challenge. Thanks to your project, stereotypes are being broken.

It’s vital to show examples that life can be different, even with physical challenges.

We carry a Soviet legacy. It was a good country, but initiative was often punished. We believed the state owed us something. It doesn’t. The state is us. The state is me.

I’m not ashamed of Russia when I visit England or Denmark because Russia is me. I speak English and Chinese, and I work.

At a Düsseldorf exhibition, most products were from Denmark and the Netherlands. Once, we visited a small northern Danish town of 14,000 people (Denmark’s population is about 5 million). In Russia, such towns often look bleak. In Denmark, it’s clean and has an industrial zone with 15–20 factories—private capital and initiative. We’re huge; why can’t we do the same? We all can, we just need to overcome barriers and act. Success will follow.

Proud and Unyielding

– Our project is called "No Excuses." What does that mean to you?

– When your neck or spine is broken, there’s a tempting excuse: I’m disabled, how can I work? It’s tempting to seek pity or ask for special discounts or excuses for being late.

For me, that’s unacceptable. I’m the same Roman Aranin as nine years ago. I still love high peaks, beautiful women, and fascinating places. My standards haven’t dropped.

On the contrary, I demand more from myself. I don’t allow being late or slacking off. This gives me the right to expect the same from my team. When you hold yourself accountable, people see you differently. The wheelchair fades into the background—you’re simply a competent professional.

– Constantly demanding so much from yourself must be tough. What motivates you?

– First, my family. As I said, I’m proud and want the best for my wife and two daughters—one studying in Beijing, the other 13 years old. I have to work hard for them.

Second, travel. I love exploring. My business lets me combine work and leisure: a few days of training in Europe, then sightseeing.

Third, the desire to help others. Unfortunately, examples like Ksenia Bezuglova, Artem Moiseenko, and me are exceptions. We were lucky: strong will, supportive family and friends.

Many are less fortunate—nine out of ten cases. But I can influence this through personal involvement, creating disability organizations, and working with authorities. Change is possible and necessary.

For example, we visited Lithuania, where a summer town by the sea was built by and for disabled people. Seven members of our organization lived there for 10 days free of charge. I saw the joy in their eyes. While I might not find Lithuania exciting anymore, for them, it was a life-changing event. That’s worth striving for.

– Roman, what are your dreams?

– I used to wish to love and be loved whenever a shooting star passed. Now, that’s fulfilled.

So, I dream of a factory.

A place where a disabled person arrives in a wheelchair, builds it themselves, and then represents Russia at exhibitions like Düsseldorf, with "Made in Russia" proudly displayed.

I’m a great patriot. :)

– I sincerely hope your dream comes true. Any final words for our readers?

– I wish everyone breaks the mental barriers inside their heads. Stop thinking "everything is bad, time to give up." That mindset is wrong.

Start with yourself. Break free from worn-out clichés and make your life better and more active. Drink life in big gulps, and you’ll see everything around you change.

– Roman, thank you so much for this inspiring interview.

– Thank you, Nastya, and Lifehacker for the amazing "No Excuses" project.

Discover the latest news and current events in Life Transformation as of 29-05-2021. The article titled " Unstoppable Spirit: An Inspiring Conversation with Roman Aranin on Resilience and Innovation " provides you with the most relevant and reliable information in the Life Transformation field. Each news piece is thoroughly analyzed to deliver valuable insights to our readers.

The information in " Unstoppable Spirit: An Inspiring Conversation with Roman Aranin on Resilience and Innovation " helps you make better-informed decisions within the Life Transformation category. Our news articles are continuously updated and adhere to journalistic standards.