For the past 20 years I have found myself kayaking down rivers around the world. At the age of 9 my parents bought me my first boat and since then I have known nothing else. It has been my passion, profession and lifestyle. Over the years I have used my kayak as a vehicle to travel to over 40 countries, amass over 100 first descents, intimately experience countless cultures, challenge myself in every sense, land on the covers of national magazines and TV programs and be featured in numerous films. I had always considered myself a survivor.
I was facing rapids that nobody had ever kayaked, rapids with fatal consequences and I was surviving them. I was traveling down rivers that were home to crocodiles, hippos, mambas, cobras, caymans and angry gun-wielding locals and somehow I was coming out alive. Yeah, I thought I was a survivor until I started First Descents. First Descents is an organization that provides free outdoor adventure therapy to young adults (aged 18-39) with cancer. I had the idea to start the program after my Aunt's diagnosis with breast cancer. I saw first hand what it meant to survive. I felt helpless. I needed to do something. So, I did the only thing I could, I taught her how to kayak. I knew kayaking was powerful but had no idea it was therapeutic. I was addicted. I started teaching more and more survivors and fighters how to kayak. It wasn't long before I realized a need and started an organization to address it by teaching young adult cancer survivor and fighters to kayak.
I had always seen surviving as a "choice". I was "choosing" to run these rapids. Then I met young adults with cancer who were facing a much larger challenge and it was not a choice. Their diagnosis was forced upon them and they didn't have the luxury of choice. At our first First Descents program in 2001, I had the pleasure of meeting Brad 1 (his camp name). He was 19, had just lost a leg to cancer and was facing the challenges of being a teenager with an incurable cancer and one leg. That was surviving! On top of it all, he took on an additional challenge, kayaking. Throughout the course of one week I saw his spirit strengthen. Through his own challenge on the water he realized that he WAS strong and that cancer did NOT define him. He took back control of his life and reclaimed his identity all amongst friends who understood him and what he was going through.
6 months after attending, Brad lost his life to his disease but will never lose his status as a survivor. Today, 10 years later, First Descents continues to grow and serve young adults with cancer free of charge. This year, First Descents will host 225 young adults over the course of 15 week-long programs in 4 states, five locations and 3 different disciplines. To learn how you can help a young adult with cancer have a life changing adventure, please visit www.FirstDescents.org.
