Monique, Jim, and the Valley Mill Kayak School help out with disabled soldiers

October 9, 2005

Monique and I thought you would like to hear about
the cool volunteer
work we have been doing. About once a week we are volunteer safety
boaters and teachers for a non-profit organization called "Team River

Runner" (TRR). You can check out their web site at:

http://www.TeamRiverRunner.org
(I am their webmaster / web designer).

TRR takes wounded soldiers from Walter Reed Army Medical
Center and the National Naval Medical Center out on the river in kayaks.
Many of the soldiers are amputees and / or are suffering from post traumatic

stress disorder. Teaching them to kayak is tremendously therapeutic
for them and one of the most rewarding things Monique and I have ever

gotten to participate in!

This is Adam. He took shrapnel in several places
in his spine, spent
over a year in a wheelchair! He told me that the doctors did not
think
he would be able to walk again. Well they were wrong! These days Adam
is actually taking a few steps without his crutches! Adam likes new challenges
and was eager to try out a Super Fun when I offered him one, he loved
it!

Here is a picture of Adam surfing in MD Chute.

Adam already had an old school roll that was only a
little shaky,
Monique and I showed him how he could make it more reliable by lying
back to lower his center of gravity. His new improved roll was
instantly "bomb proof" so we went on to teach him the hand roll,
which
took less than five minutes!

Here are some photos of Adam hitting his hand roll while Monique spots
him, although no spotting is needed!

Anyway we thought you would enjoy these pictures and
wanted to share
them with you. There are lots more pictures in the galleries on
Monique and my website http://www.PotomacPaddlers.com.
I only wish
more of the pictures featured Jackson Kayaks. We will keep pushing
them! TRR has been getting a lot of press lately, several local TV
news pieces, and now we are going to be on the NBC "Today Show"!
Cool huh?

Best Regards, see you at the Gauley Fest,

Jim Hubshman :o)