Cory Lee has traveled to more than 50 countries, paraglided in Switzerland and spends nearly half the year on the road, but it all started with a school field trip he almost didn’t get to take.

In fifth grade, his classmates boarded the bus while Lee was told he couldn’t go because the bus wasn’t wheelchair accessible. His mom immediately went to the school and insisted that answer wasn’t acceptable. They finally arranged an accessible bus.

“My mom always told me my disability wasn’t a hindrance,” Lee, who lives in Georgia, tells PEOPLE exclusively over Zoom. “She made sure I could do the same activities as other kids. Watching her fight for me shaped who I am today.”

Cory Lee has traveled to more than 50 countries, paraglided in Switzerland and spends nearly half the year on the road, but it all started with a school field trip he almost didn’t get to take.

In fifth grade, his classmates boarded the bus while Lee was told he couldn’t go because the bus wasn’t wheelchair accessible. His mom immediately went to the school and insisted that answer wasn’t acceptable. They finally arranged an accessible bus.

“My mom always told me my disability wasn’t a hindrance,” Lee, who lives in Georgia, tells PEOPLE exclusively over Zoom. “She made sure I could do the same activities as other kids. Watching her fight for me shaped who I am today.”

Lee was diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy at age 2, a degenerative disease that gradually weakens muscles. By age 4, he couldn’t walk. Classrooms, playgrounds — even hallways — were obstacles. And he only found more obstacles as he entered adulthood.

After graduating from the University of West Georgia in 2014 with a marketing degree, he went to a job interview but was turned away before he could even explain himself. “‘This job involves travel, so you’re not the best fit,’” the hiring manager told him.

But Lee, now 35, refused to be defined by his diagnosis. Instead, he turned to the world — literally — by planning his college graduation trip to Australia. However, as he began researching wheelchair-accessible activities and transportation, he quickly realized how little information existed for travelers like him.

“Between the hiring manager telling me I couldn’t travel and the lack of resources, I knew I had to do something,” he says. “That’s what motivated me to start my blog, Curb Free with Cory Lee. I wanted to show others what’s possible, that you can travel in a wheelchair and experience these amazing destinations around the world.”

Today, Lee spends an average of 150 days a year traveling, exploring vibrant cities and tackling bucket-list adventures. Some of his favorite destinations include Antarctica, Egypt and India.

For Lee, planning international trips requires months of preparation, usually six to 12 months in advance. He researches accessible transportation, hotels and activities, and usually travels with his mom and a friend who serves as his caregiver in case anything goes wrong, including if his wheelchair is damaged.

“Knowing I will inevitably get weaker has been a huge motivator,” he says. “I want to see and do as much as possible now, while I still can. Those early struggles made me determined to push boundaries, travel and experience life in ways people said I couldn’t.”

However, even with all his accomplishments, he still faces challenges. The biggest hurdle he has to overcome for every trip is many travelers’ nightmare: flying.

“Flying is difficult as a wheelchair user,” he says. “I can’t stay in my chair on the plane, so it goes in the cargo hold — where it often gets damaged. I’ve spent entire days repairing it in places like Barcelona, when the front wheel completely broke off.”

Despite the challenges, Lee continues to inspire others — and himself — with every trip he takes.

“Whenever I hear from someone with a disability who says they started traveling because of me, it motivates me to keep going,” he says. Over the years, he’s even seen destinations add beach-access mats after reading about them on his blog. “It’s incredible to know I’m helping make travel more inclusive. That’s what drives me.”

One of his favorite examples came from a fellow traveler named Kelly Narowski.

“She reached out a few years ago and told me she’d been following my blog for a long time,” Lee recalls. “It inspired her to set a goal — to visit 50 countries by the time she turned 50. And she actually did it! Kelly’s a wheelchair user with a spinal cord injury, and to see her accomplish that because of something I shared was incredible. Moments like that remind me why I do this.”

That mission extends beyond his own travels. In 2022, Lee launched the Curb Free Foundation, a nonprofit that offers travel grants to wheelchair users so they can experience their dream trips at no cost.

“I remember how many places I wanted to go growing up, but money was always a barrier,” he says. “Traveling as a wheelchair user is even more expensive — and I wanted to help remove that obstacle for others.”

“There’s no better teacher than travel,” he adds. “The more people we can get out there in the world, the more empathy and compassion we’ll have for one another. And to me, empathy is the greatest asset anyone can have.”

Cory Lee has traveled to more than 50 countries, paraglided in Switzerland and spends nearly half the year on the road, but it all started with a school field trip he almost didn’t get to take.

In fifth grade, his classmates boarded the bus while Lee was told he couldn’t go because the bus wasn’t wheelchair accessible. His mom immediately went to the school and insisted that answer wasn’t acceptable. They finally arranged an accessible bus.

“My mom always told me my disability wasn’t a hindrance,” Lee, who lives in Georgia, tells PEOPLE exclusively over Zoom. “She made sure I could do the same activities as other kids. Watching her fight for me shaped who I am today.”

Cory Lee has traveled to more than 50 countries, paraglided in Switzerland and spends nearly half the year on the road, but it all started with a school field trip he almost didn’t get to take.

In fifth grade, his classmates boarded the bus while Lee was told he couldn’t go because the bus wasn’t wheelchair accessible. His mom immediately went to the school and insisted that answer wasn’t acceptable. They finally arranged an accessible bus.

“My mom always told me my disability wasn’t a hindrance,” Lee, who lives in Georgia, tells PEOPLE exclusively over Zoom. “She made sure I could do the same activities as other kids. Watching her fight for me shaped who I am today.”

After graduating from the University of West Georgia in 2014 with a marketing degree, he went to a job interview but was turned away before he could even explain himself. “‘This job involves travel, so you’re not the best fit,’” the hiring manager told him.

But Lee, now 35, refused to be defined by his diagnosis. Instead, he turned to the world — literally — by planning his college graduation trip to Australia. However, as he began researching wheelchair-accessible activities and transportation, he quickly realized how little information existed for travelers like him.

“Between the hiring manager telling me I couldn’t travel and the lack of resources, I knew I had to do something,” he says. “That’s what motivated me to start my blog, Curb Free with Cory Lee. I wanted to show others what’s possible, that you can travel in a wheelchair and experience these amazing destinations around the world.”

Today, Lee spends an average of 150 days a year traveling, exploring vibrant cities and tackling bucket-list adventures. Some of his favorite destinations include Antarctica, Egypt and India.

For Lee, planning international trips requires months of preparation, usually six to 12 months in advance. He researches accessible transportation, hotels and activities, and usually travels with his mom and a friend who serves as his caregiver in case anything goes wrong, including if his wheelchair is damaged.

“Knowing I will inevitably get weaker has been a huge motivator,” he says. “I want to see and do as much as possible now, while I still can. Those early struggles made me determined to push boundaries, travel and experience life in ways people said I couldn’t.”

However, even with all his accomplishments, he still faces challenges. The biggest hurdle he has to overcome for every trip is many travelers’ nightmare: flying.

“Flying is difficult as a wheelchair user,” he says. “I can’t stay in my chair on the plane, so it goes in the cargo hold — where it often gets damaged. I’ve spent entire days repairing it in places like Barcelona, when the front wheel completely broke off.”

Despite the challenges, Lee continues to inspire others — and himself — with every trip he takes.

“Whenever I hear from someone with a disability who says they started traveling because of me, it motivates me to keep going,” he says. Over the years, he’s even seen destinations add beach-access mats after reading about them on his blog. “It’s incredible to know I’m helping make travel more inclusive. That’s what drives me.”

One of his favorite examples came from a fellow traveler named Kelly Narowski.

“She reached out a few years ago and told me she’d been following my blog for a long time,” Lee recalls. “It inspired her to set a goal — to visit 50 countries by the time she turned 50. And she actually did it! Kelly’s a wheelchair user with a spinal cord injury, and to see her accomplish that because of something I shared was incredible. Moments like that remind me why I do this.”

That mission extends beyond his own travels. In 2022, Lee launched the Curb Free Foundation, a nonprofit that offers travel grants to wheelchair users so they can experience their dream trips at no cost.

“I remember how many places I wanted to go growing up, but money was always a barrier,” he says. “Traveling as a wheelchair user is even more expensive — and I wanted to help remove that obstacle for others.”

“There’s no better teacher than travel,” he adds. “The more people we can get out there in the world, the more empathy and compassion we’ll have for one another. And to me, empathy is the greatest asset anyone can have.”