Despite a life-altering hunting accident in 1997 that caused him to lose his sight, Lonnie found the courage and determination to raise his three daughters as a single father in small-town Indiana, teaching them all to hunt and fish — and, against all odds, to drive. After the kids were grown and moved out, Lonnie was looking for another challenge.
Through adaptive sports organizations Lonnie began to get the opportunity to do some amazing adventures. Fast forward a few years and Lonnie is a National Geographic 2015 Adventurer of the Year. He has kayaked some of the most challenging whitewater in the world and is responsible for first blind descents of Africa’s fabled Zambezi River and West Virginia’s world-renowned Gauley River. Lonnie is best known for his first descent of the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon.
In May of 2023, Lonnie Bedwell became the first blind veteran to climb Mt Everest. He was accompanied by friends and climbing partners Michael Neal and Bryan Hill. Before the climb, Michael and Bryan rode their bicycles across India to set a world record for the fastest known time from sea level to Everest’s summit. We’ll have Michael on next week to share that story.
Sightlesssummits.com
https://www.instagram.com/lonnie.r.bedwell
https://lonniebedwell.com/
Ep. 866: Icelandic Traverse, Gone Wrong - Aum Gandhi
Ep. 865: Skiing Self-Supported to the South Pole with Your Husband - Revisited - Chris Fagan
Ep. 864: River Warrior - Paul Wilson
Ep. 863: Running 30 Marathons in 30 Countries Before Turning 30 - Revisited - Liz Warner
Ep. 862: Big Wave Surfing Legend - Laird Hamilton
Ep. 861: Stand Up Paddleboarding the Gateway Drug - Revisited - Kelly Kocher
Ep. 860: The Art of Freediving - Alexander Nilsson
Ep. 859: Crossing Denali - Revisited - Michael Fenner
Ep. 858: How Endurance Sports Help You Win At Life - Jennifer Strong McConachie
Ep. 857: A Lifetime of Mountaineering - Revisited - Gerry Roach
Ep. 856: FKT of the Sierra Peak Section List - Nathan Longhurst and Travis Soares
Ep. 855: Racing the Tour Divide in Your 60's - Revisited - Marty Johnson
Ep. 854: Dreamer & Adventurer - Alvin Garcia
Ep. 853: Bike Touring the Length of New Zealand - Revisited - Jordon Wolfram
Ep. 852: K2 + The Seven Summits - Lisa Thompson
Ep. 851: Paddling 250 Miles on the River Thames - Revisited - Krista Halling
Ep. 850: Circumnavigate the US by Bike & Kayak - Renata Chlumska
Ep. 849: Climbing Through Physical Trauma - Revisited - Melissa Strong
Ep. 848: History-Based Ultrarunning - Todd Aydelotte
Ep. 847: Canoeing Deep Dive - Part 2 - Steve Piragis
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