Whitewater Kayaking in Grand Canyon… Vision Optional

Erik Weihenmayer has never been one to back down from a challenge, nor to let anyone or anything but himself determine his limits. He’s climbed not only Mount Everest, but the six next-highest mountains in the world as well, known collectively as the seven summits.

You might even say that he did it with his eyes closed… Weihenmayer is blind.

But as tough as climbing the seven summits was, Weihenmayer had an even more challenging feat in mind: to kayak the entire length of the Colorado River. All 277 miles of it.

To accomplish his goal, he teamed up with blind Navy veteran Lonnie Bedwell, along with a few sighted teammates who guided the pair through the Grand Canyon’s chaotic rapids by calling directions over a Bluetooth earpiece.

The shared adventure was more than just a personal endeavor. Weihenmayer hopes that people who hear about his journey will be inspired to face their own challenges without fear—and in so doing, to discover capabilities they may not even have realized they had.