For the past 20 years, former U.S. Army paratrooper and two-time U.S. Paralympic Team Nordic skier Bryan Price has found himself dealing with the obstacles and challenges of living in spaces never designed for a paraplegic.
But now the former warrior, who lost the use of his legs in 2006 as his Humvee drove over an IED in Iraq, is excited about the new Casper-area home that he and his wife, Siqi, and their 6-year-old son plan to start sleeping in this weekend.
“I’ve never lived in a handicap accessible place,” Price said. “You can just tell the quality they put in it. When they say they are building a ‘forever home,’ they are very serious about it. .. The idea that they have is that this is the last house that the vet will ever need.”
The home is a gift from the Homes For Our Troops organization in Taunton, Massachusetts, which formally turned the four-bedroom, two-bathroom home over to Price in a key ceremony on Dec. 6.
The group’s Executive Director Bill Ivey, who was in Casper for the ceremony, said the organization was excited to turn the home over to Price and his family. The home, which includes more than 40 special adaptations, exceeds Americans With Disabilities Act standards and gives Price full accessibility.
“It is also our first home in Wyoming, bringing our total number of homes completed to 426 in 46 states,” Ivey said. “As that would imply, we build where our veterans want to live, and Bryan and his wife Siqi chose to build their forever home in Casper. Once in their adapted home, HFOT stays in contact with our veterans for life to assist them with rebuilding their lives.”
Price said moving into the home has been a slow process because their old place was in Casper and their new home is at Clark’s Corners, about 30 miles southwest of Casper. They were using a pickup truck to haul things, but friends were planning to help with beds and other items over this weekend.
Prior to the move, Price said the couple had taken financial classes and were able to choose a few things associated with the design. The Homes For Our Troops uses a basic design, but because there are no load-bearing walls, owners can choose to have a wall between the kitchen and dining room areas. They chose not to.
Bryan Price and his wife, Siqi, stand in the kitchen and dining space in their new home southwest of Casper. (Courtesy Homes For Our Troops) 
Bryan Price enters his new home following the key ceremony. (Courtesy Homes For Our Troops) 
Bryan Price said he is excited about his new home and that he definitely was feeling some emotions during the ceremony to hand the home over to him and his family. (Courtesy Homes For Our Troops)
Rural Setting
Homes For Our Troops has certain standards when choosing a lot, and Price said it took them about six months of searching to find the property. He’s looking forward to the rural setting.
The house is one level with door openings that don’t have the standard threshold hump at the bottom. Price likes the fact that he can roll his manual wheelchair up to the door during the move with boxes in his lap and watch it open.
“All the doors to the outside have a sensor on them, and you can just wave your hand, and the door will open automatically,” he said.
The house also features lowered countertops and accessible appliances, roll-under access for countertops, sinks and cooktop surfaces, widened doorways and hallways, pull-down shelving, and vinyl plank floors that enable wheelchairs to roll easily.
Price said the house will allow him to help his wife more with parenting and doing chores around the house. Their old home had stairs that kept him from being able to help with laundry, and he barely squeezed his wheelchair into the bathroom.
The new home has room to roll his chair around the furniture, and the bathroom is huge.
“I can actually go into the shower and sit in the middle of it, because you roll into it,” he said. “I’m six-foot-three and I can put my arms out and I can’t touch either side from the middle.”
Bryan Price cleans a weapon as a young soldier in the U.S. Army. (Courtesy Bryan Price) 
Bryan Price, top left, in the field with a team during his army career. (Courtesy Bryan Price) 
Bryan Price, a Missouri native, enjoys the Wyoming lifestyle of being outdoors, hunting, and skiing. (Courtesy Bryan Price) 
Bryan Price and his family fell in love with the Casper area and all that it has to offer. (Courtesy Bryan Price) 
Bryan Price shows his mettle during a competition. (Courtesy Bryan Price) 
Bryan Price became an international competitor after learning about cross-country skiing and biathlon. Here he puts in some road work. (Courtesy Bryan Price) 
Following his life-altering war injury, Brian Pryce found sports was a good outlet. (Courtesy Bryan Price)
Key Ceremony
The key ceremony, that involved Ivey, also included Wyoming Secretary of State Chuck Gray, State Rep. Jayme Lien, and representatives from Gov. Mark Gordon, Sen. John Barrasso, and Rep. Harriet Hageman.
Price said he was touched by the housewarming gifts that included some things to hang on walls, a wooden American flag for the garage and one for the house, as well as a three-foot U.S. Army emblem that was signed by people at a fundraiser he attended.
“It’s very touching having all those people come out and support us,” he said. “I was a little choked up when I was speaking.”
The location for the house puts the avid outdoorsman closer to things he enjoys, such as hunting and fishing. There is a public shooting area on land nearby, and he is closer to Alcova Reservoir and the Miracle Mile on the North Platte River, where he can fish.
There is also room on their lot for the Missouri native to garden. He said he’s never had a yard that would allow him to grow more than eight plants.
“We’re really excited,” he said. “I look forward to it.”
Dale Killingbeck can be reached at dale@cowboystatedaily.com.
