It's not every day that you see someone with a disability portrayed in different sports in the community. However, I just had the opportunity to be a presenter at the Cleveland Boat Show, an expo showcasing all things boating, which includes kayaking! I was asked by the LoCo ‘Yaks to help them demonstrate adaptive paddling. Of course, I said yes! Being able to represent the disability community in nonadaptive settings means the world to me.
I knew it was going to be hard work (physically and mentally), but I was still surprised by how exhausted I was after the 3rd day of the show. I was very thankful I could take the 4th day of the show off, as all demonstrations about adaptive paddling were completed. It took a lot out of me mentally as I navigated my insecurities while truly believing that I’m worth more. I am an outgoing introvert. I love being around people but it wears me out and I have to recharge.
There wasn’t much recharging time between each day, so it made sense that I was exhausted and overstimulated. I slowed down my life in other areas by doing the bare minimum those days. And, I didn’t beat myself up about doing so – a super important step.
But, let’s recap my favorite parts and why!
I was shocked to see this gorgeous ramp with boat lifts on the side of the demonstration pool. This allowed me to be part of these demonstrations with ease. I immediately wanted to go up and take a look from above – how many chances does a wheelchair user get to do that?!
I was able to speak with Jason, the owner of Marblehead Marine Construction, the company that built this temporary structure, about the lifts and was quite impressed with the options he spoke about. If you are interested or in need of a personal kayak lift, I would recommend checking them out.
And then I turned toward the pool to see how I was going to get in the kayak. This was a completely new experience.
We had to get to work and come up with a game plan.
How WAS I going to get in the pool? This was a completely different setup than anything I was used to. (And I had to do it in front of an audience?! What?! Are you nuts?!) Robb and I came up with a plan, talked it through a couple of times so we both were on the same page, and I trusted everything would go smoothly.
And smoothly it went.
With the help of a new friend, Brennen, we executed these transfers so gracefully and with ease. It was so much fun to be “on the water” again and demonstrate to an audience that wheelchair users can paddle. People with ANY disability can paddle. Water is a true equalizer and I love the freedom it grants me.
Plus, it continues to build my confidence. My confidence in my mind, body, and soul. I get stronger physically with the workout it provides, but it also builds my balance and ability to navigate the boat – critical factors in building my mental strength.
But anyway, back to the show.
Inside the pool, we taught people how playing games while kayaking brings joy to learning and building foundational kayaking skills. And, we showed all of the adaptive equipment available to make kayaking accessible to everyone outside the pool.
Another favorite part of mine was that I could experience portions of this opportunity with Chris. I always love when we can do things together. We met because of our love of the water and it’s been a central part of our relationship. If you’d like to hear the story about how we met, let me know on Instagram! (@megs_hammond).
It wasn’t all work though!
Chris and I had plenty of time to roam around the expo, looking at all the vendor tables and eating all the delicious food! We loved supporting local small businesses and even purchased a gift! The final highlight of the show is definitely Twiggy, the surfing squirrel (@twiggysinc on Instagram). This show was so cute and the kids watching loved it!
Even though I was exhausted, I loved every minute of this. I love connecting with people, hearing their stories, and growing as a person because of them. I took the time to journal about this experience. I reflected on a different part of the journey in different journaling sessions. I greatly appreciate the time that I devote to going inward.
I do have a free 2-week journaling guide that you can download from my website if you are interested in starting your journaling practice. I would love to hear from you and what I can do to help. If there is ANYTHING that you want to hear about – please let me know! I can’t do any of this without YOU, so I would love to connect with you! If you would like more information on anything I spoke about here, leave me some feedback either here – below this post, e-mail me (thewheellifeblog@gmail.com), or on any of my social media platforms! (IG/TW/TT @megs_hammond).
Let’s keep those happy thoughts, productivity, and self-care going! Until next time, live honestly, passionately, and with kindness! Take care!
