Paddle Without Barriers

Fences, brick walls, doors - this is what most of us think of when the word "barrier" pops up. Imagine kayakers leaping over a fence, racing to get up speed to jump over. Quite the feat! What about the barriers in our heads, the "I can't do that," or "They can't do that......?"

Almost 25 years ago, when I was working at an outdoor adventure show for a hiking company, a lady using a wheelchair stopped by and said she would like to go hiking. Hmmm, I suggested that paddling might be a little easier for her. With the idea of adaptive paddling already in my head, Dee had unwittingly spurred an idea into action. Of course, the next hurdle was the "how to" get someone who uses a wheelchair into a kayak. That is a whole new story.