Kayaking…

I went kayaking this summer – not once, but twice! Woohoo!   

That might not seem like a big deal to you, but for me, it was huge!  I finished chemo a few months ago and I’m slowly getting my energy and strength back. I also have a disability called CMT (Charcot-Marie-Tooth), which causes me to have peripheral neuropathy in my legs, feet and hands.  Plus causes balance issues. 

While I’ve really wanted to go kayaking, the thought of it brought on a lot of anxiety – how would I get in and out of the boat, what if the boat tips over, how will I paddle when I have no arm strength, what if I paddle out and I can’t paddle back. So many thoughts swirling around in my head!  

I had considered calling the Collinsville Kayaking place to find out if they had any sort of adaptive kayaking opportunities, but I kept wimping out. I don’t know about you, but for me it’s so easy to make excuses to not do things.  I’m too tired, it’s too hot, it’ll rain and thunder, or I can’t do it alone. The list of excuses really is endless – yes, I can be very creative! 

But, one day I was scrolling through my Facebook feed and there was a posting from a Facebook friend. Her daughter was doing a summer internship, updating the websites of small businesses.  Her first website was for Summit Adaptive Sports. I thought I would check out the site. With my blog, I’m always interested in how websites look and feel. It was fantastic!  Very easy to use.  Great job, Mandy Kaylor!

Besides how easy it was to navigate the site, what really jumped out at me was the post about kayaking. There it was – my opportunity to paddle, staring me right in the face. It was if God was talking to me,  saying “you can do this, Lisa.”  So… I did!!!

The first great thing about Summit is they call you!  I received a welcoming phone call from Karen.  She reviewed the list of limitations I had submitted and started coming up with solutions to help me get in and out the kayak. It was so helpful and comforting to have that conversation. 

On the day of the event, I will admit I was very nervous. I secretly hoped all day that it would rain and thunder and that the event would be cancelled! It didn’t. It was a rather pleasant, but cloudy day. Perfect for kayaking. 

I arrived, very nervous. I had my friend Christy meet me there to give me support and courage.  It was nice to have that extra support, but it turns out it wasn’t necessary. The people there were so welcoming and helpful, that there was nothing to be nervous about.  

They had the kayak all set up on wheels, with a table-like device sitting over it.  I got into the kayak on land, using the table-like device for assistance and then they wheeled me down to the river.  The kayak had pontoon-like things so it wouldn’t tip. I had a person in a kayak accompanying me – his name was Al. Plus, there was Paula, a staffer who was on a nearby paddle board.  She was readily available if I needed help. 

I learned different strokes, turning around and going backwards and forwards. It was fabulous! I had such a sense of accomplishment! And when I got tired, which I did, we tethered my kayak to Al’s. I kept paddling, but it was much easier.

 

Making it happen

You have to let go of worrying about “how you look.”  It took several people to help me into the kayak and several to help me out. I’m confident that with time, I’ll get better at it.  Plus, I’m getting stronger every day. I did shed a few tears from nerves and overwhelming emotions when I was first getting into the kayak. But again, the people were super nice and supportive. You can’t help but feel comfortable and laugh through the process. 

I went out a second time and I didn’t need to be tethered to the other kayak. That’s progress! I stopped a lot to rest my arms, but I went twice as far as I had last time, and this time on my own. I had the same boat. Getting in was no problem. Getting out… well, that’s still an issue. I still required several people to help me, but with their assistance, I was able to reach the table-like device and stand up.  

I’m excited that I can already see improvement – imagine how much I can improve next year!  A few folks mentioned adaptive skiing to me. I’ve thought about that before, but I’ve always been too anxious to ski. But I saw with my own eyes… these folks know what they’re doing. I know they’d take care of everything and I’m sure make me feel very comfortable. We’ll see.  One thing at a time. 

I will say it’s a very empowering experience – doing something you didn’t think you could. Plus, it’s so wonderful and peaceful being on the river. People say nature heals, and I will second that! 

Finding the ability to try something new.