In 1982 at the age of 21, seven years before the El Capitan climb, Wellman lost use of his legs when he fell 100 feet off a mountain called Seven Gables which is near Mt. Humphries in the Sierra Nevadas, injuring his spine. However, he became the first paraplegic to climb El Capitan - Yosemite Half Dome on the 26 july, 1989 with the help of climbing partner Mike Corbett.
