Paddle & Pedal Event - August 28-29, 2006

A Two Day Camp
THAT CHANGED MY LIFE
by Student, Bill Steinle

Bill Steinle

For the last twenty years I have been a sedentary single leg, amputee. I had no idea that there was an organization that explicitly helped people with disabilities. When I was told that it did, in fact, exist in Mammoth, and that I could participate, I jumped at the chance. I signed up for the two day camp called the Paddle and Pedal.

On the first day of the campout, we pedaled custom made hand-cycle bikes from McGee Creek campground to Crowley Lake store and back. A great combination of exercise and fun. The volunteers were an especially great group of people, and they gave a great deal of their time and effort to make sure that we had a great and safe day. I also commend them on their great sense of humor. On the second day of the outing we went kayaking on Crowley lake; what a blast!

As I mentioned before, I went for twenty years without knowing that it was possible for me to do such things, but thanks to DSES staff and their volunteers, I have been able to add a wholesome and therapeutical dimension to my life through the world of disabled sports. I would really like to express my heartfelt gratitude and thanks to the staff and volunteers for opening a new door of opportunity in the world of adaptive sports.

DSES’ first annual Paddle and Pedal was a successful event and Terry Smutney came up with this fun idea. The goal of the camp was to introduce people with disabilities, in particular people with physical impairments to new adventures. The two day event included hand-cycling, kayaking, camping and fishing.

Participants on the first day were fitted to hand-cycles and then rolled away from McGee Campground (graciously donated by Neubauer/Jennisen) and pedaled to Crowley Lake Store and after a short rest stop cycled back to camp. Dan Owen brought food that was donated from Vons and Manor Market out of Bishop and the feast began.

After the lunch, the group headed to the trout pond where volunteer Anita Haenni smoked the boys and caught the largest trout which was dinner! The next morning with life vests on, the group jumped into the kayaks donated by Caldera Kayaks (www.calderakayak.com), and paddled the around beautiful Crowley Lake.

The event was a wonderful introduction to different types of adaptive sports offered by DSES’ summer program. Thanks to all the volunteers who took the time to assist them and show them how great it is to recreate in the beautiful Eastern Sierra’s. Everyone still talks about how exhilarating and fun the whole experience was. Dan and his friends “are grateful to all of you and hope to see you again next year.”

Dan Owen helped organize participants for the Paddle and Pedal from the Bishop area. Dan is a quadriplegic with Cerebral Palsy and can not balance on his own, but was able to kayak because of the ingenuity and creativity of DSES staff and volunteers, which shows that anyone with a disability can do almost anything.