With funding from the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, Wilderness Inquiry partnered with Colorado’s Craig Rehabilitation Hospital to provide a three-day kayaking adventure in the Apostle Islands for five individuals with spinal cord injuries and their family members. The trip provided a rare opportunity for these families to participate in a shared outdoor adventure that both pushed their limits and brought them closer together.
Dave, a veteran and former rugby player, found a new lease on life on this trip.
“Before this trip, I never entertained the prospect of camping on my own,” said Dave. “After this trip, I have realized that I am very capable to do so. I now know that the only limitations that I have, are those limits that I put on myself! I found a person I lost –myself. Now, once again, I strive every day to be the best person I can be!”
Dave gained the realization of independence while in the outdoors and has made the outdoors a reality in his daily life—in fact, he has already ventured out on his own camping trip. He credited the hard work and dedication of the Wilderness Inquiry staff for making this trip possible.
Carol, a Therapeutic Recreation Therapist, has worked with many of the trip participants in the past and is now able to see new possibilities for these individuals and others she works with at Craig Rehabilitation Hospital.
“It was eye opening for me to see what folks were capable of. In the kayaks, disability was not visible nor a barrier. We definitely also achieved the goal of getting people excited [about the outdoors] and new possibilities for independence in their lives.”
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