Blog: "Kayaking gives me complete release"
The English Federation of Disability Sport (EFDS) website features a blog post every Friday through the year.
In 2016 we’ll be taking a look at an A-Z of accessible sporting and fitness opportunities available to disabled people. This week it’s K for kayaking, and Belle Cartwright from London discusses regaining her independence through sport on the water.
Read more in the A-Z blogs series.
Belle’s blog:
Kayaking for me gives me complete freedom. When you’re on the water it’s just you, your boat and your paddle against the rapid.
When you first start, or at least in my case, you’re terrified. At any moment your boat can be shifted or moved by the rapids and you feel you might tip in at any point. However, you soon gain more confidence and start to enjoy it a little more.
I love kayaking because it asks me what I can do more than what I cannot. It’s the perfect combination of problem solving and an endorphin and adrenalin rush.
Every rapid is different and challenges you in a new way. The river is such a changing and dynamic environment – you might go to the same river 100 times and each time you’ll discover a new quirk or something will have altered, meaning you always have to be alert.
Paddle-Ability video (via YouTube)
Kayaking also means I get to travel all around the country as we chase the rain and dam releases. When we’re not spending weekends in Wales, Dartmoor, Exmoor or any other place with good rivers we’ll spend time at one of the man-made courses.
As I live in London I’m super lucky to have access to Lee Valley Water Centre where they run excellent courses on the Legacy Loop as you work your way up to tackling the infamous Olympic from 2012.
There are also superb man-made courses in Nottingham and Cardiff should you live further away from London and not close to any decent white water.
Just over four years ago I found out I was going to be disabled. I remember the moment so clearly – I was sitting in a hospital room waiting for news as to whether my broken ankle had fully healed.
I later found out I had a rare condition called Osteochondritis Dissecans which affects roughly 15 in 100,000 people. Five surgeries later I have transitioned from life in a wheelchair to life on a singular crutch. I still struggle to stand for long periods and to walk for more than 10 minutes at a time.
I would advise any disabled person thinking of getting into white water kayaking to join a club. Clubs are at the heart of the kayaking community. They provide you with a group of like-minded people who become more like family as time goes on.
My club, Regents Canoe Club have been a fantastic support on trips making sure I only run rivers I can safely get down and helping me carry equipment.
By joining a club you will also have access to pool sessions where you can learn and grow your confidence more before tackling your first rapids.
Kayaking has given me my sense of normality back. It distracts from the tedium of doctor and hospital appointments as well as giving me a complete release from stresses of work and city life.
I highly recommend it for anyone with a sense of adventure or for someone who wants to challenge their preconceptions of what they think is possible versus what they can actually achieve.
Read more in the A-Z blogs series.
