Wheelchair motocross is teen's extreme dream

Aaron Fotheringham AKA Wheelz performs stunts in his wheelchair as part of the Nitro Circus. Photo / Supplied

He's the only person in the world to complete a double backflip on a wheelchair - and he's heading here to show Kiwis how it's done.

Aaron "Wheelz" Fotheringham is part of Nitro Circus, an extreme sports spectacle starting its New Zealand tour in Auckland on Saturday.

More than 20,000 tickets have already been sold for the first date.

The audience will see members of the stunt crew launch from a 15m "Gigant-A-Ramp" on everything from bikes to boogie boards.

But Wheelz is a little different from most of his fellow performers - the 19-year old Las Vegas native rides a wheelchair on and off the ramp.

Fotheringham was born with spina bifida, a condition which means his spine hasn't developed properly, and is a pioneer of his own brand of extreme - wheelchair motocross.

Fotheringham joined the Nitro Circus crew a year ago after extreme sports star Travis Pastrana heard about his exploits.

"It is my career, it pays my bills - I'm living the dream," Fotheringham said.

He has been catching air in his chair since his brother made him try a stunt at the local skatepark at age 8.

But despite 11 years' experience he still gets nervous when he's at the top of the ramp. "It's pretty exciting when you're on the top looking down. I have fear when I'm up there - I'm scared of heights.

"Your heart's racing but you have to push past that."

It's not all backflips and happy endings, though - he had some heavy spills perfecting his technique.

"There have been many of those instances but not too serious. I just strained my shoulder, had concussion and things."

Fotheringham hopes wheelchair motocross will become part of X Games, the extreme sport equivalent of the Olympics.

For now he's happy touring with the Nitro Circus crew - and "stoked" to be on his way to New Zealand for the first time.

"Maybe I'll meet a couple of New Zealand girls there."