Jamestown News
For 30 years Bev Paddock and her husband Cliff have enjoyed the sport of kayaking. Looking for something to do after retiring from a 40-year career in diabetic education, the Jamestown resident realized many of the same skills she used then could be used to assess people’s abilities and teach them how to kayak safely.
Five years ago she became a L2 kayak instructor with the American Canoe Association. Two years ago, she attended an Endorsement Workshop and began teaching adaptive kayaking.
Will Seeley, owner of GetOutdoors, helps Mark Springfield prepare to launch on the inclusive dock at Lake Higgins in Greensboro.
“I love teaching all classes, but working with the adaptive classes is my passion,” she said. “The first year we put 13 people on the water. This year we have had 54 and still have one more event.”
Paddock volunteers with GetOutdoors Pedal and Paddle, which provides ACA certified instructors and trained safety boaters for two types of adaptive paddling opportunities. The Adaptive Paddling Experience provides people with all abilities the opportunity to enjoy kayaking, whether doing it for the first time or renewing the experience. Adaptive Paddling Skills Class is an instructive program for people with physical or communication disabilities who want to learn paddling strokes, techniques and safety that can lead to more inclusive paddling opportunities.
“GetOutdoors is known for wanting to teach people,” Paddock said. “Our goal is to move participants up.”
The classes have a one-on-one safety ratio with most of the instructors L2 certified. Other volunteers who serve as safety boaters have kayaking experience.
“All volunteers are safety boaters, but not all are instructors,” Paddock explained.
Bev Paddock, along with safety boaters, provides pre-launch instructions before a rainy-day kayaking session.
From May to September, kayak classes are taught on a lake. Classes have been held on Lake Higgins in Greensboro, which has an inclusive dock, Oak Hollow Lake in High Point and Salem Lake in Winston-Salem. Using different lakes allows the kayaking programs to serve more communities and gives people the opportunity to paddle on more lakes.
On other months kayaking is done at the Ragsdale Family YMCA pool. Each one-time class lasts approximately one and a half hours, but participants may sign up for as many classes as desired.
“I do phone assessments before each class to determine what type of boat or equipment is needed,” Paddock said. “Sometimes I find someone who needs to do tandem paddling. I also find older participants with no physical issues who want to paddle.
“My vision is to have adaptive and inclusive programs. There are things we do on the adaptive gamut that can be used in the aging process.”
Mark Springfield is shown with instructors Bev Paddock, left, and Susan Hensley after completing his first self-rescue in deep water in the pool at Ragsdale Family YMCA.
Paddock attends adaptive events to market the kayaking programs. She says Greensboro Parks and Recreation has been very supportive of it by advertising the programs on its website. It has purchased tandem boats and other adaptive equipment to use at Lake Higgins. Adaptive & Inclusive Recreation puts the class dates on its calendar and High Point and Winston-Salem recreation departments advertise the program to people with disabilities.
“We also communicate with different support groups such as Parkinson’s,” Paddock said.
Due to the popularity of the programs, more volunteer safety boaters with experience in kayaking are needed to allow more people with disabilities the opportunity to kayak.
“The cool thing is seeing the smiles of people when they get on the water or when they do not want to get off,” Paddock said. “The interest and networking opportunities in the adaptive program have been way more than I expected. Now I am also interested in working with adaptive camping.”
Bev Paddock’s niece, Eleanor, and her husband Robert enjoy a tandem kayaking session on the lake. The paddle pivot allows Eleanor to successfully paddle using only her right arm.
From learning to kayak to training as safety boater
Using a wheelchair has not kept Mark Springfield from enjoying time on the water in a kayak. In fact, he has participated in a number of the adaptive kayaking classes offered through GetOutdoors Pedal and Paddle and is now working toward becoming a safety boater volunteer.
“I work with the Disability Advocacy Center in Greensboro,” Springfield said. “We serve five counties including Guilford, Alamance, Caswell, Rockingham and Randolph. We push anything that supports independent living and helps people with disabilities have equal services and opportunities.”
Springfield attended school for sports therapy and sports medicine and is now certified in sports medicine, search and rescue, construction management and remodeling for people with disabilities.
When Springfield learned about the adaptive kayaking program through Greensboro Parks and Recreation he wanted to be part of it.
“I can show others with disabilities that they can still do things and enjoy outdoor water sports,” he said. “Bev [Paddock, an adaptive kayaking instructor] has been a great mentor and role model to me. Everyone on the staff has helped.”
In the past, Springfield used to canoe but had not done anything like that since becoming disabled four and a half years ago. He admits he was afraid his first time on the water in a kayak.
“Everyone was patient with me and I learned how to do it,” he said. “Now I can go with my consumers [clients of the advocacy center] and can reassure them.”
Springfield recently completed his first deep-water self-rescue for which he had to rely on his upper body strength.
“It took a lot of thinking, strategy and self awareness to complete Springfield said. “Participating in the adaptive kayaking program has helped my self-confidence and allowed me to give others hope they can do it as well. I want to help the program grow to be bigger and better.”