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. 922: Building Florida’s Best Bikepacking Routes - Karlos Rodriguez Bernart
Ep. 921: Kayaking the Blue Nile and Maranon Rivers - Revisited - Amie Begg
Ep. 920: From Wildland Firefighter to Cancer Fighter - Phil Decker
Ep. 919: Alaska to Florida by Bike - Revisited - Mason Gravley
Ep. 918: World-Record Skydiving - Melanie Curtis
Ep. 917: Bikepacking the Ecuadorian Andes - Revisited - Uriel Eisen & Maggie Burke
Ep. 916: Kite Skiing Across Greenland - Katie Crafts
Ep. 915: Family World Travel & Ultra Running - Revisited - Julie & Matt Urbanksi
Adventure Grant Winners Announcement!
Ep. 914: Biking from Singapore to the Netherlands - Dorien Cramer
Ep. 913: Bicycling 60,000 Miles of Inspiration - Revisited - Willie Weir
Ep. 912: Facing Mediocrity And Grief Through Adventure - Steph Jagger
Ep. 911: 40 Marathons in 40 Days - Revisited - Mina Guli
Ep. 910: Chasing the Buffalo Soldiers - Erick Cedeño
Ep. 909: From Couch to 250k - Revisited - Aidan Doherty & Blane O'Donnell
Ep. 908: Crossing Iceland on Foot - Jonathan Morsicato
Ep. 907: "Wildland," a Documentary Alongside Wildland Firefighters - Revisited - Alex Jablonski
Ep. 906: Running For Good - Fiona Oakes
Ep. 905: Iditarod Ultra Runner & Stay-at-Home Dad - Revisited - Pete Ripmaster
Ep. 904: Biking 6,000 Across the US for Distracted Driving - Ben Grannis
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