Lonnie Bedwell

Erik is totally blind and is solo kayaking the length of the Grand Canyon. In Lava Falls, a large dangerous rapid, he discovers that despite what people might say, barriers can be real and they hurt .. a lot.

Lonnie Bedwell is a downhome Indiana boy, a family man, former Navy petty officer. Not your typical extreme adventure athlete. But after he was blinded in a hunting accident, Bedwell discovered a new freedom and possibility in whitewater kayaking. And it wasn’t long before he was shattering boundaries. Bedwell became the first blind person to kayak the entire length of the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon, and he’s paddled in rivers from Wyoming to Pennsylvania. But his biggest accomplishment is encouraging other blind individuals to overcome their fear, get in the water and taste the freedom of rivers.