[Blindvet-talk] Blind Vet Solo's the Grand Canyon!

[NABlindVets at aol.com]

First  Blind Solo Kayaker Goes Down Entire Length of Grand Canyon   
Disabled  Navy veteran makes history supported and guided by Team River 
Runner   
 
Disabled  Navy veteran Lonnie Bedwell becomes the first completely blind 
solo kayaker to  go down the entire length of the Grand Canyon. 
"Running  the Grand Canyon was a dream for Joe and me, and now that dream 
has become a  reality. I hope that other disabled persons will be able to 
share this feeling  with me one day and achieve their dreams as well."- Ronnie 
Bedwell   
Rockville, MD (PRWEB) August 29, 2013  
Disabled  Navy veteran Lonnie Bedwell made history last week, becoming the 
first  completely blind solo kayaker to go down the entire length of the 
Grand Canyon.  He achieved this feat when he completed his trek down the 
Colorado River  supported by _Team River  Runner_ 
(http://www.teamriverrunner.org/)  on Wednesday, August 21. Bedwell, a Navy Veteran from Dugger,  Indiana, 
was guided by three military veterans from Team River Runner who relied  only 
on a system of voice commands to navigate him through the entire trip,  
including the large, difficult Class V rapids. The 16-day journey was made  
possible thanks to the help of numerous volunteers and fellow veterans, as well 
 as a generous grant from Check-6 Inc., a service disabled veteran owned 
company  that focuses on safety and training in the energy  industry. 
By  kayaking the entire 226-mile length of the Grand Canyon in a solo 
kayak, Bedwell  not only made history, but he also fulfilled a dream he has long 
shared with  Team River Runner Executive Director, Joe Mornini. "Running the 
Grand Canyon was  a dream for Joe and me, and now that dream has become a 
reality. I hope that  other disabled persons will be able to share this 
feeling with me one day and  achieve their dreams as well,” said Bedwell.  
Mornini,  who co-founded Team River Runner, a chapter of Disabled Sports 
USA, in 2004 and  currently serves as its Executive Director, praised the team 
effort that  engendered this historic achievement and which continues to 
serve as the ethos  of his organization. "No one goes down the Grand Canyon on 
the river and leaves  the same way they entered. Lonnie's three warrior 
guides, and the entire group  of veterans and volunteers, formed a bond that 
enabled healing and empowerment  for all, and a truly historic achievement as 
a team."  
“Joe  Mornini has opened the doors for warriors who were wounded to find 
life again on  the water. He is a man of singular vision and energy who saw a 
need and focused  his sites on helping wounded veterans get back in the game,
” said Brian “Bru”  Brurud, the founder of Check-6, Inc. “Congratulations 
to Lonnie and Team River  Runner on a job very well done!” 
ABOUT  TEAM RIVER RUNNER 
Team River Runner (TRR) was established in August 2004 by  kayakers in the 
Washington, DC area. Overseen by a Board of Directors, and with  10 
employees, TRR remains primarily a volunteer-based organization, supported by  
grants, and corporate and individual donations. Initially established to help  
active duty military personnel wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan and recovering 
at  Walter Reed Army Medical Center, TRR now serves veterans of all eras at 
over 40  chapters throughout the United States. For more information, visit 
_http://www.teamriverrunner.org_ (http://www.teamriverrunner.org/) . 
ABOUT  CHECK-6, INC. 
Founded in 2007, Check-6 (_http://www.checksix.com_ 
(http://www.checksix.com/) )  is a disabled veteran run organization that brings lessons learned 
from aviation  and the military to other high-risk industries, including oil & 
gas, mining,  and industrial power generation. Check-6 applies the best 
practices of aircraft  carrier operations, commercial aviation, nuclear and 
space operations to help  reduce human error, increasing efficiency in the 
process. The company has grown  from a handful of dedicated people in 2007 to 
more than 300 working around the  world today.