Imagine sitting in a kayak.
You slide into a fast moving river and, within moments, you’re grabbed by the powerful current, pulled into raging whitewater and ultimately hurled into rapids crashing loudly in every direction. You’re suddenly hit in the face with a shower of water and your kayak is tossed in multiple directions while you fight to maintain your sense of balance and direction, you start to fear the river may swallow you (and your kayak) whole.
Now imagine experiencing all of this, blind.
That is exactly what a few incredibly brave veterans have done along with the talented guides of Team River Runner. “I’ll never forget my first time running the river,” explained Army combat veteran Mike Plourde. “It gave me a feeling that I can’t describe. The river just takes you, and you have to just go with it. There’s really nothing like it.”
Founded outside Washington, D.C. near the Potomac River, Team River Runner’s Executive Director Joe Morini explained how this adaptive sports therapy began with a few warriors from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. “We saw some wounded and disabled veterans sitting in their chairs, some of them recent amputees … and we just decided that they need to be with us in a kayak.”
After initial meetings to demonstrate how kayaks could be a great form of therapy, Morini and his Team River Runner crew have been introducing vets to kayaking in a pool at Walter Reed, every week for the past 14 years.
Above: Joe Morini who says "the river is my home."
Fast forward to today, and Team River Runner can be found on rivers across the country. “We’ve grown into an inclusive group for all veterans. We have built a chapter system throughout the country of over 65 chapters in 31 states and we work with roughly 2200 veterans per year,” said Morini.
And it was on the Colorado River where a blind veteran was able to achieve what sounds impossible -- run the entire length of the Grand Canyon. “We thought ‘this is crazy’ at first,” quipped Morini. “But at one of our leadership clinics in Montana, we invited out a blind veteran paddler who had been working with us, and said let’s teach this young man to paddle whitewater … let’s start with flat water and teach him how to roll, and work our way up. We were amazed when we saw how well someone who is visually disabled could navigate and feel the water beneath them.”
This event was the start of what would eventually become the "Outtasight Program" and introduce us to Navy veteran, Lonnie Bedwell. “We found Lonnie who wanted to train to run the Grand Canyon, and he became the first blind paddler to run the entire length of the Grand Canyon. His story is just amazing.” said Morini.
But how is running class 3 or 4 rapids even possible for the visually impaired?
TRR Team Leader, Mike Plourde, who is also a former 101st Airborne combat medic with 3 tours of Iraq and Afghanistan explained, “It takes a lot of trust in your trainer and doing everything you’ve practiced.”
He described how after work in flat water, and training to roll and then practicing in smaller rapids he eventually witnessed a powerful moment he’ll never forget, “We were at a section with some pretty heavy stuff. And this guide started to question if we should run through it, and he backed out. We all kinda asked ourselves, 'does anybody else want to lead?' It got quiet, and our blind vet just pulled on his goggles and said ‘Let’s do this!’ Immediately another team member said he would lead and it was incredible … I mean you could literally feel the courage and the trust. It’s the most incredible thing I’ve ever felt.”
The subsequent ride was a roller coaster according to Plourde. “He went on and got worked by the water, or “chundered” as we call it … but when he came out up from the whitewater everyone immediately started yelling, hollering and hi-fiving … it was incredible.”
And the incredible feeling among these Team River Runner paddlers is what it’s all about. “We’re not just focusing on blind veterans,” explained Morini. “We’re focusing on veterans … some with disabilities, some as volunteers. But when you have a blind paddler, you always have a guide. And becoming a guide is a great job for a veteran who feels like they lost their ability to serve. Now you’re serving again, you now are building trust with another veteran.”
Most recently TRR’s Outtasight Vision Team members completed another run of the Grand Canyon with 5 blind veterans.
Rivers, like the events in our lives, force us all to submit and just go with it. Whether it’s blind veterans or veteran volunteers, they all use their power of connection to get through the rapids together. And according to Morini “That’s what this is all about. You want to learn to run whitewater we’ll teach you. You want to learn to paddle flat water we’ll help you. You wanna play kayak football, get ready for some carnage … we just have fun! Just come out and paddle with us!”
For more information on how you can get involved with Team River Runner click here
To comment on this or share your story email GetHelp@Connetingvets.com
