Hi there!
I am a new(ish) manual wheelchair user. I bought a lightweight chair and had a one to one session with freedom wheelchair skills to learn how to use it!
Despite learning a lot of useful skills I have found that there’s a big difference between knowing the skills in principle and actually DOING them!
On forgiving flat surfaces the chair is wonderful and such a relief from the stress of walking. However give me a slight slope or pavement camber and my technique goes out the window as I just try to keep moving! I can’t even fully get up train ramps yet, I have to ask for a shove. 
I really wish to avoid having my chair pushed by anyone. I have decent upper body strength and no real issues with fatigue. I’m practising a little up a sloping road near me to try and build strength though I think I look a right spectacle! It feels incredibly hard work.
I don’t really have confidence to take it into town as I don’t want to be having difficulties whilst surrounded by people. I’d love to eventually have the chair free me up to go to London more, get on and off buses and push around towns easily.
I’d really appreciate some words of wisdom on how long it takes for pushing a chair to feel less of a struggle? And perhaps how experienced manual wheelchair users fared at the start?
Thanks
Joceline x